stroke ????

[mclachlan]

41yr old female presents to stroke unit with left side arm/leg weakness. Physiotherapist not convinced it is a stroke. dragging left leg and left arm in a contracted position. C.T and M.R.I are negative, doplar also negative. Blood pressure and chlorestrol normal, however does have a raised E.S.R. Awaiting angiogram.

[Quixotic1]

Hi, Welcome to the forum.  While this does sound more like a vascular incident, MS can certainly present with a sudden hemiparesis (complete one-sided weakness).  It's not real common, but well-reported in the MS literature.  The weakness with persistent flexion of the leg and arm is interesting and I would have to ask if the flexion has the characteristics of spasticity.  Can the limbs be straightened passively?  this means can the examiner straighten the limbs while the patient tries to relax and not help?  If so, then is it harder to straighten them if the examiner tries to do it very fast?

What are your reflexes like?  Right after a stroke the reflexes tend to be very depressed.  Are they hyperreactive, brisk?

How high is the ESR?

Are they considering Hemiplegic Migraine?

Did they do an MRI of the Cervical spine?  I would think this is mandatory, especially if the reflexes are hyperreactive.

Those are my thoughts.  We have had members here develop one-sided weakness as a early sign of MS.  But, as of yet you have too little information.

I hope you stay and we can see where this leads you.  Also we can provide a lot of info if there are questions about MS.

Quix

[Lulu54]

Hi McLachlan, welcome to the MS forum at MedHelp.  What you have briefly described here does not sound like MS to me.  That it affects both the arm and leg, and I assume it came on suddenly, is a clue to me.  And the contracted position doesn't sound like MS, or at least initially when it first becomes a problem.

I hope you find the answers you are searching for.  

be well,
Lulu