Ischemic Stroke Occurring During Intercourse in Young Women on Oral Contraceptives

We present 2 cases of young women taking oral contraceptives, each presenting with an ischemic stroke. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed a patent foramen ovale in one patient and an atrial septal defect in the other. The most likely cause of stroke in both patients is embolic. Despite conflicting evidence, young patients presenting with ischemic stroke and found to have a patent foramen ovale or atrial septal defect should be considered for possible device-based closure.

Source: The American Journal of Cardiology - May 19, 2014 Category: Cardiology Authors: P. Elliott Miller, Lorrel Brown, Paras Khandheria, Jon R. Resar Tags: Case Report Source Type: research