{"title":"A Rare Case of Ischemic Stroke Secondary to Polycythemia with Rapid Resolution After Phlebotomy.","authors":"Adan Abdi Hassan, Mohamed Jayte, Feisal Dahir Kahie, Abishir Mohamud Hirsi","doi":"10.2147/IMCRJ.S538180","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Ischemic stroke secondary to polycythemia is a rare but serious complication, particularly in young adults. Early recognition and intervention can lead to rapid neurological recovery.</p><p><strong>Case presentation: </strong>A 21-year-old male from Western Uganda presented with sudden-onset right-sided hemiparesis and slurred speech. He had no prior history of thromboembolic events but reported chronic headaches and fatigue. Physical examination revealed facial asymmetry, right-sided weakness (power 3/5), and hyperviscosity signs. Laboratory tests confirmed polycythemia (Hb: 22 g/dL, Hct: 68%). Brain CT showed an acute left middle cerebral artery (MCA) infarct.</p><p><strong>Management: </strong>Emergency phlebotomy (500 mL) was performed, followed by hydration and low-dose aspirin. The patient showed significant improvement within 48 hours, with near-complete resolution of symptoms at one-week follow-up.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Polycythemia-induced stroke, though rare, should be considered in young patients with unexplained thromboembolic events. Phlebotomy remains a rapid and effective treatment, especially in resource-limited settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":14337,"journal":{"name":"International Medical Case Reports Journal","volume":"18 ","pages":"1231-1235"},"PeriodicalIF":0.7000,"publicationDate":"2025-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12459375/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"International Medical Case Reports Journal","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.2147/IMCRJ.S538180","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2025/1/1 0:00:00","PubModel":"eCollection","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"MEDICINE, GENERAL & INTERNAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Introduction: Ischemic stroke secondary to polycythemia is a rare but serious complication, particularly in young adults. Early recognition and intervention can lead to rapid neurological recovery.
Case presentation: A 21-year-old male from Western Uganda presented with sudden-onset right-sided hemiparesis and slurred speech. He had no prior history of thromboembolic events but reported chronic headaches and fatigue. Physical examination revealed facial asymmetry, right-sided weakness (power 3/5), and hyperviscosity signs. Laboratory tests confirmed polycythemia (Hb: 22 g/dL, Hct: 68%). Brain CT showed an acute left middle cerebral artery (MCA) infarct.
Management: Emergency phlebotomy (500 mL) was performed, followed by hydration and low-dose aspirin. The patient showed significant improvement within 48 hours, with near-complete resolution of symptoms at one-week follow-up.
Conclusion: Polycythemia-induced stroke, though rare, should be considered in young patients with unexplained thromboembolic events. Phlebotomy remains a rapid and effective treatment, especially in resource-limited settings.
期刊介绍：
International Medical Case Reports Journal is an international, peer-reviewed, open access, online journal publishing original case reports from all medical specialties. Submissions should not normally exceed 3,000 words or 4 published pages including figures, diagrams and references. As of 1st April 2019, the International Medical Case Reports Journal will no longer consider meta-analyses for publication.
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