Acute cerebral ischemic stroke as a presentation of polycythemia vera: a case report and a review of literature

Polycythemia vera (PV) is a disease of stem cells characterized by pan hyperplastic, malignant, and neoplastic bone marrow conditions. It is characterized by an increased absolute red blood cell count due to uncontrolled red blood cell synthesis, as well as excessive white blood cell and platelet production. Although the relationship between PV and stroke, especially ischemic stroke, is widely known around the world, no previous cases have been reported from Somalia. CASE PRESENTATION: In the presenting study, we report a 60-year-old male patient who presented with a right-side weakness for 3 days. After laboratory and brain imaging, he was diagnosed with an acute cerebral infarct affecting the left basal ganglion secondary to PV. CONCLUSIONS: PV as the cause of ischemic stroke is a rare condition but can be encountered in clinical practice, and clinicians should be familiar with this combination.