Cerebral Infarction During Sexual Intercourse

ABSTRACT

Paradoxical embolism after the Valsalva maneuver can cause ischemic stroke in patients with patent foramen ovale (PFO). A 27-year-old woman presented with abnormal movement of the right arm and aphasia. Brain imaging showed acute infarction in the left frontal lobe and segmental steno-occlusion in the left middle cerebral artery. A PFO study demonstrated air embolic signals in the middle cerebral artery. This case of embolic stroke occurred during sexual intercourse, probably related to the Valsalva maneuver, in a patient with PFO.