Simultaneous event of brachial artery occlusion and acute embolic stroke

Abstract

Although the rapid and accurate diagnosis of both acute ischemic stroke and extremity ischemia is essential to the timely and appropriate treatment, it is not always easy to differentiate between true stroke and stroke mimics. Although in general, limb ischemia due to extremity embolism is not included in stroke mimics or misdiagnosis, limb arterial embolism should be considered in the differential diagnosis of acute monoparesis because the diagnosis may be missed if the other typical manifestations of this presentation (pain, pallor, pulselessness, sensory loss, and coolness of the arm) are overlooked. Therefore, it is important to ensure that important signs are not missed whether the evaluation of the patient is done at the bedside. We report a case of a male patient presented to an emergency department with acute right upper extremity pain with headache, gait disturbance, and confused mentality. He was diagnosed by simultaneous brachial artery occlusion and acute stroke, which resulted in emergency surgical embolectomy and anticoagulation therapy.