Postpartum Ischemic Stroke: A Rare Case

The risk of stroke is increased during pregnancy and the postpartum period. It can lead to significant maternal morbidity and mortality. The physiologically mediated hemodynamic changes in circulation and vascular tissue, and the increased coagulability account for this increased risk of stroke. Pregnancy-related strokes can be hemorrhagic or ischemic. We present a rare case of postpartum ischemic stroke. A 25-year-old female with no known comorbidities and a history of cesarean section 10 days back presented with a right-sided weakness and sensory loss for one day. An MRI of the head revealed a large area of restricted diffusion on diffusion-weighted 1 (DW1) image in the left parietal region with comparable low signals on apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) map and a small area of blooming suggesting hemorrhage on susceptibility-weighted 1 (SW1) image. This area appeared hypointense on T1 and hyperintense on fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) and T2 images. These findings suggested acute ischemic infarction. She was started on antiplatelet therapy, and subsequently, her weakness improved. She was discharged upon improvement in her symptoms and was asked to follow up in the outpatient department. Numerous studies have shown an increased risk of ischemic stroke in the immediate postpartum period in women who undergo a cesarean section. Thus, we conclude that clinicians should be aware of this complication and high-risk patients should be identified and monitored more aggressively in their immediate postpartum period.