title: Ischaemic stroke provoked by sexual intercourse.
abstract: The association between long term risk factors and stroke has been well established, but very little is known about factors that may precipitate acute stroke. We describe two young women presenting with ischaemic stroke triggered by sexual intercourse. Patient 1 presented with a cardioembolic stroke probably secondary to the interaction between a patent foramen ovale and thrombophilic abnormalities; Patient 2, presenting with orgasmic headache, had a cryptogenic striatocapsular infarct. Sexual intercourse should be considered as an unusual, but possible, trigger of cerebral ischaemia, especially in young patients presenting with cryptogenic stroke.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Centro Neurolesi Bonino-Pulejo, S.S. 113, Contrada Casazza, Messina 98124, Italy. salbro77@tiscali.it
authors.forename: Rocco Salvatore
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Calabrò
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pezzini
authors.forename: Carmela
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Casella
authors.forename: Placido
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bramanti
authors.forename: Onofrio
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Triolo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D003075:Coitus; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Genetic thrombophilia; PFO; Sexual headache; Sexual intercourse; Vasoconstriction