1. Middle Cerebral Artery Stroke as Amusement Park Injury: Case Report and Review of the Literature
- Author
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Salvatore Bertolone, Ashok Raj, Abby Baumgartle, Vinay Puri, Laura Wolfe, and Karen Moeller
- Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty ,pediatric stroke ,business.industry ,lcsh:RJ1-570 ,Poison control ,Infarction ,lcsh:Pediatrics ,Case Report ,middle cerebral artery stroke ,medicine.disease ,Suicide prevention ,Occupational safety and health ,03 medical and health sciences ,Dissection ,0302 clinical medicine ,amusement park injury ,030225 pediatrics ,Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health ,Injury prevention ,medicine ,Physical therapy ,Pediatric stroke ,business ,Stroke ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery - Abstract
Strokes as amusement park injuries are rare, but have been reported in the literature. Only about 20 cases of cerebrovascular accidents after amusement park visits have been described. We report a healthy 12-year-old boy who presented with facial droop, slurred speech, and inability to use his right arm after riding roller coasters at a local amusement park. He was evaluated and found to have a left middle cerebral artery (MCA) infarction. The patient was treated with anticoagulants and has recovered with no major residual symptoms. It is likely that his neurological symptoms occurred due to the high head accelerations experienced on the roller coasters, which are more detrimental to children due to immature cervical spine development and muscle strength. Early diagnosis of dissection and stroke results in a favorable prognosis. Providers and parents should be aware of the potential risk of roller coasters and act quickly on neurologic changes in children that have recently been to an amusement park.
- Published
- 2017