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Stroke, Vol 21, 1632-1635, Copyright © 1990 by American Heart Association

ARTICLES

Embolic stroke after smoking "crack" cocaine

GW Petty, JC Brust, TK Tatemichi and ML Barr
Department of Neurology, Harlem Hospital Center, New York.

A 39-year-old woman had an embolic upper division middle cerebral artery branch occlusion 3 hours after smoking the free base of cocaine ("crack"). Radionuclide ventriculography demonstrated cardiomyopathy, and echocardiography documented a left atrial thrombus. This case demonstrates that embolism is one mechanism of ischemic stroke after cocaine use, and that cardiomyopathy, possibly cocaine induced, may be the source of embolus. A cardiac source of embolus should be sought in patients with cocaine-associated cerebral infarction.

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