DEAR DR. ROACH: How does a medical condition get named? Once named, can the name be changed? I have a condition called hemiplegic migraines. Many people with the condition feel it should be renamed because the term migraine makes it seem less serious. Some were saying to call it TSS for temporary stroke syndrome, because it presents as a stroke but is temporary. What are your thoughts? E.D.V.
ANSWER: Hemiplegic migraine is a rare disorder that is much more common in women and often runs in families. As its name and you suggest, it is different from a regular migraine because it causes motor weakness during the aura phase. This can be terrifying for both the patient and the physician, as it can be indistinguishable from a stroke.
The symptoms often start in the hand and then move up the arm and into the face. This usually lasts for hours, although time courses of minutes up to weeks have been reported. People also may experience a decreased ability to speak, dizziness, unsteadiness and even mental status changes ranging from confusion to coma during the event.
