A Rare Case of Cardioembolic Spinal Stroke in a Young Female: Case Report

Case Rep Neurol. 2023 Sep 26;15(1):222-226. doi: 10.1159/000531779. eCollection 2023 Jan-Dec.

Abstract

Spinal cord infarction (SCI) is a rare neurovascular disorder often presented with acute spinal cord syndrome. The diagnosis is generally made clinically, with appropriate neuroimaging to confirm the diagnosis and exclude other causes. We present an unusual case of a 48-year-old woman with no relevant past medical history, admitted with acute paraparesis and a spinal cord infarct on magnetic resonance imaging. A thorough investigation revealed asymptomatic unknown heart failure secondary to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, suggestive of a cardioembolic etiology. The patient was treated with anticoagulation and improved significantly with physical rehabilitation.

Keywords: Cardioembolic stroke; Case report; Spinal cord infarction.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

Grants and funding

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.