The Cause of the Stroke: a Diagnostic Uncertainty

Overview

Journal BMJ Case Rep

Specialty General Medicine

Date 2017 Jun 25

PMID 28645902

Authors

Abhishek Dattani

Ava Jackson

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

A 39-year-old man with a history of sickle cell disease (SCD) presented with left leg weakness. He had a normal CT head and CT angiogram, but MRI head showed multiple acute bilateral cortical infarcts including in the right precentral gyrus. The MRI findings were more in keeping with an embolic source rather than stroke related to SCD, although it could not be ruled out. He also had an echocardiogram which revealed a patent foramen ovale. He was treated with antiplatelet therapy and also had red blood cell exchange transfusion. His symptoms improved significantly and he was discharged with follow-up as an outpatient and a cardiology review.

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