title: Stroke as a first manifestation of ovarian cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Gynaecologic neoplasms are reported to have the highest potential for developing of ischemic stroke.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The history of a female patient, in whom recurrent cerebral embolism was the first clinical sign of occult ovarian neoplasm is described and the casuistic literature to characterise this clinical phenomenon reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among a large spectrum of neoplasms complicating with ischemic stroke, ovarian carcinoma is one of the most frequently reported in the casuistic literature. The source of systemic microembolisation is endocardits of non-infectious origin; the characteristic diagnostic findings are thrombocytopenia, elevated D-dimers level, and a specific stroke pattern in magnetic resonance imaging.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Meticulous diagnosis in female, otherwise 'healthy' patients with ischemic stroke, to detect the underlying neoplastic disease is of paramount importance, as early surgical intervention on cancer promises successful therapy for both, cancer and thromboembolism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, University of Düsseldorf, Moorenstrasse 5, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany. dr.borowski@t-online.de
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Borowski
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ghodsizad
authors.forename: Emmeran
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gams
mesh_terms: D001778:Blood Coagulation Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D004696:Endocarditis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020766:Intracranial Embolism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*
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