The starting point from an unusual "anxiety".
Proactive health checkups have therefore become a key to preventing serious illnesses, especially stroke, which can pay a visit without warning.
Lessons from Fate: A Case Study of a Patient with Latent Ischemic Stroke
Because a fortune teller gave a warning, the truth hidden inside the body was found. In today's world where people are starting to pay more attention to health, proactive health checkups have become a key to preventing serious illnesses, especially stroke, which can pay a visit without warning—just like the case study presented in this article.
The starting point from an unusual “anxiety”
A 69-year-old man walked into the examination room with symptoms of being "dizzy and having a headache" and a reason that sounded less than medical—"a fortune teller warned that I would become paralyzed." Although the symptoms were not severe, the deep-seated fear prompted the patient to decide to undergo a serious checkup.
Initial test results seemed normal, but MRI revealed clues
An MRI of the brain showed "minor spots of abnormality," which were the results of age-related degeneration. However, the hidden truth unfolded in the next step when brain blood vessels were examined using MRA.
A “jackpot” no one wants to win
MRA results revealed brain blood vessel stenosis (narrowing) at multiple points, on both the left and right sides, clearly placing the patient at risk of paralysis. If not found at this time, it might have been too late.
When a fortune teller acts as an impulse to discover a disease
Even though the patient insisted that he had “no underlying medical conditions,” the Stroke Screening program discovered several risk factors:
Hyperlipidemia (LDL 202 mg/dL)
High CRP level indicating vascular inflammation
Blood sugar level starting to rise
Blood pressure at 150 mmHg
Calcium deposits on the carotid artery wall from a Carotid Ultrasound
Normal heart rhythm from an EKG (ruling out the cause from arrhythmia)
The physician concluded that:
"Saying there are no underlying conditions is not true... you just have never been tested."
Treatment started immediately saves lives
After detecting the risks, the patient immediately received lipid-lowering medication, antihypertensive medication, and antiplatelet medication—which significantly helps reduce the chance of paralysis.
Outcome:
The patient was diagnosed with hypertension and hyperlipidemia
Paralysis was avoided in time
A continuous follow-up plan was established to control risk factors
Important takeaways from this case
Proactive health checkups are necessary, even if there are no symptoms.
Latent ischemic stroke may have no symptoms until it is too late.
Screening brain blood vessels, the heart, and neck blood vessels can prevent a stroke from occurring.
Predictions from fortune tellers might not be scientific, but sometimes they serve as an "impulse" to make us turn back to take care of ourselves.