SHORT REPORT

Recurrent stroke associated with cannabis use

I Mateo, A Pinedo, M Gomez-Beldarrain, J M Basterretxea and J C Garcia-Monco

Service of Neurology, Hospital de Galdacano, 48960 Galdacano, Vizcaya, Spain

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Dr J C Garcia-Monco
Service of Neurology, Hospital de Galdacano, 48960 Galdacano, Vizcaya, Spain; hospit05{at}sarenet.es

Drug misuse represents a risk factor for cerebrovascular disease, especially among young people. Despite the fact that cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug, there are only a few reports associating its use with cerebrovascular disease. We describe a patient who suffered three ischaemic strokes immediately after cannabis consumption. Other stroke aetiologies were ruled out, and neuroimaging revealed infarcts in different arterial areas as well as evidence of non-atherosclerotic arterial disease, which suggests an underlying vasculopathy of uncertain (toxic or inflammatory) origin. Cannabis use may be associated with ischaemic stroke in young patients, but its mechanism is unclear.

Abbreviations: MCA, middle cerebral artery; MRA, magnetic resonance angiography

Keywords: cannabis; stroke; marijuana; hashish

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