Purpose

Mean platelet volume (MPV) is an indicator of platelet (Plt) function and activation. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate whether MPV and MPV/Plt ratio, indicators of Plt activation, are increased in migraine patients, compared to tension-type headache (TTH) and healthy control groups, in our large-scale study, and whether these two primary headache types with unknown pathophysiology may be differentiated by using MPV and MPV/Plt ratio.

Materials and methods

Eighty patients diagnosed with migraine as per the 2004 diagnosis criteria of the International Headache Society (IHS), 80 patients with TTH who have applied to the Neurology Clinic of our hospital, and 80 healthy subjects who have applied to the Family Practice Clinic and Blood Bank were enrolled in this study. MPV and MPV/Plt ratio in both patients of similar age and gender who were diagnosed with migraine as well as in the TTH group and healthy control group were compared.

Findings

The MPV/Plt ratio was 0.046±0.008 in migraine patients, 0.037±0.009 in patients with TTH, and 0.036±0.009 in the healthy control group. This difference was statistically significant (<0.05). The cutoff value of MPV/Plt ratio for differentiating migraine and TTH was 0.037. The sensitivity of this value was 92.5%, while specificity was 55%.

Conclusion

We have demonstrated that the most commonly confused primary headache types may be differentiated by using MPV and MPV/Plt ratio, and therefore, the disability caused by migraine and unsuitable, unnecessary, and long-term drug therapies may be avoided in patients.