Hemiparesis after general anesthesia in a patient with migraine with unilateral motor symptoms.

DESIGN: This is a case report.

SETTING: The setting is at a postoperative recovery area.

PATIENTS: A 52-year-old woman with a history of migraine with unilateral motor symptoms developed hemiparesis after undergoing general anesthesia for total thyroidectomy.

INTERVENTIONS: No interventions were performed.

MEASUREMENTS/MAIN RESULTS: Head computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging were normal. Laboratory studies including basic metabolic panel and complete blood count were also within normal limits.

CONCLUSIONS: General anesthesia may be a trigger for hemiplegic migraine syndromes; however, it behooves the practitioner to rule out acute neurologic and metabolic events before making this diagnosis.