Abstract
Objective: A rare case of cerebral infarction associated with a mobile plaque in a patient with essential thrombocythemia is reported.
Case: A 49-year-old male presented with right hemiparesis and acalculia. He was diagnosed as having essential thrombocythemia by hematological examination. Diffusion-weighted MRI demonstrated acute cerebral infarction in the border zones between territories of the anterior and middle cerebral arteries, plus the middle and posterior cerebral arteries. Carotid ultrasonography performed on the 4th day of hospitalization showed a mobile plaque in the left common carotid artery. The mechanism of cerebral infarction was diagnosed as artery to artery embolism from the mobile carotid plaque, with essential thrombocythemia.
Results: Treatment included antiplatelet and anticoagulant drugs, as well as hydroxyurea. The plaque was no longer present after treatment, with no recurrence of embolic events.
Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first report of cerebral infarction due to a mobile carotid plaque in a patient with essential thrombocythemia.
