ACTA MEDICA
ACTA MEDICA
Acta Medica (Hradec Králové) is an English language multidisciplinary medical journal. Acta Medica publishes reviews, original articles, brief communications, case reports, announcements, and notices. The journal was founded in 1958 under the title “A Collection of Scientific Works of the Charles University’s Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Králové”. The journal is indexed in Chemical Abstracts, CNKI, DOAJ, EBSCO, Hinari, Index Medicus, MEDLINE, Scopus, and Ulrichsweb.

ACTA MEDICA, Vol 61 No 2 (2018), 74–77

Cerebral Infarction in Young Marijuana Smokers – Case Reports

Libor Šimůnek, Antonín Krajina, Roman Herzig, Martin Vališ

DOI: https://doi.org/10.14712/18059694.2018.56
published online: 14. 09. 2018

abstract

Introduction: Causality of marijuana abuse with development of ischemic stroke has been indicated by numerous case reports and epidemiological studies. As a possible pathophysiological mechanism, the most common consideration is cardiac embolization during paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, systemic hypotension or multifocal intracerebral vasoconstriction. Case reports: We present three case reports of marijuana consumers who were admitted to our comprehensive stroke center due to ischemic stroke within 18-month period of our investigation. In one case, the cause of stroke was not related to the use of marijuana, it was a manifestation of antiphospholipid syndrome. In two cases the association with the abuse of this drug is probable but not certain. In both these cases, an isolated occlusion in vertebrobasilar arterial system was detected, without finding of a cerebral vessels stenosis. Although we did not register the atrial fibrillation, we consider cardiac embolization as probable etiological mechanism of stroke in both cases. In one case, paradoxical embolization due to the persistent foramen ovale represents another potential etiological mechanism. Conclusions: Cannabinoid use may cause ischemic stroke, especially in the younger age category. Therefore, in these patients we recommend focusing on the history of cannabinoid abuse and carry out toxicological urine tests.

keywords: cannabinoids; ischemic stroke; young stroke; reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome; vasospasms

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Cerebral Infarction in Young Marijuana Smokers – Case Reports is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

210 x 297 mm
periodicity: 4 x per year
print price: 150 czk
ISSN: 1211-4286
E-ISSN: 1805-9694

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