A 61-year-old business executive with a long history of high blood pressure collapsed while jogging over the lunch hour. His jog
ging mate quickly contacted a police officer who helped carry the man to a hospital just down the road. At the hospital, an MRI was performed that revealed a blockage of a major cerebral artery and ischemic changes to the portion of the brain supplied by that artery. With quick medical attention, the man was stabilized, and he slowly improved over the next three weeks. The following signs and symptoms did persist, however:
- paralysis of the right leg and foot
- loss of sensation on the skin of the right leg and foot
- when blindfolded, inability to identify a tennis ball placed in the left hand, but ability to name it if placed in the right hand
- inability to throw the tennis ball with his left hand, but ability to throw it with his right hand
Left Cerebrovascular Incident (Left Ischemic Stroke) with right hemiparesis
Explanation:
Blood pressure increases when a person is involved in physical activity. A history of high blood pressure can result in weakening of the arterial walls overtime, this can lead to blockage of the arteries which means that part of the brain does not receive adequate blood and oxygen supply resulting in in cells of that part of the brain dying, hence ischemic stroke.
As a result, parts of the body supplied by the affected part of the brain will be impaired, eg. weakness, decreased sensation, etc.
The cavernous sinus is the venous structure involved in this process; which is made up of a group of facial veins that form a cavity limited by the efenoid. It contains inside the internal carotid artery and the VI cranial nerve or external ocular motor.
