When Pulmonary Embolism Opens the Door: Paradoxical Thalamic Stroke Through a Patent Foramen Ovale
Bader Jad Allah, Ibrahim D Al-Obaidi, Ahmed F Hasan, Abdulbaset E Elkkari · 2026
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Description
Bader Jad Allah and colleagues report a 2026 case in which pulmonary embolism opened the door to a paradoxical thalamic stroke through a patent foramen ovale. Paradoxical clots through that heart opening are an uncommon but important cause of acute ischemic stroke, notably when lung clots are present. The patient was a 46-year-old man with bilateral grade C3-R pulmonary embolism who then developed focal nerve deficits, including word-finding difficulty.
CT lung scans confirmed the clot, and heart ultrasound with a bubble study found a patent foramen ovale with right-to-left shunting. Contrast brain MRI then showed an acute left thalamic infarct consistent with paradoxical embolic stroke, after other causes were excluded. Blood-thinner and closure decisions were made through a mixed-field process with the patient. The case urges suspicion for paradoxical embolism when clot, heart opening, and new nerve symptoms coincide.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Bader Jad Allah, Ibrahim D Al-Obaidi, Ahmed F Hasan, Abdulbaset E Elkkari |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 15 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | CC BY 4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |