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Case Reports: Unusual presentation of more common disease/injury
Obstructive sleep apnoea presenting as a stroke mimic
  1. Mark Wan1,2 and
  2. Roy Beran2,3,4,5,6,7,8
  1. 1Liverpool Hospital, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia
  2. 2Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
  3. 3Medical Law, Sechenov Moscow First State University, Moscow, Russia
  4. 4Department of Neurophysiology, Liverpool Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
  5. 5Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Campbell St, Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia
  6. 6South Western Sydney Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Liverpool, Sydney, Australia
  7. 7School of Medicine, Griffith University, Southport, Queensland, Australia
  8. 8School of Medicine, Westerns Sydney University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
  1. Correspondence to Dr Roy Beran; roy{at}royberan.com

Abstract

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is never considered the aetiology of focal neurological symptoms or in the differential of stroke-like symptoms. Although it is a risk factor for stroke and can produce global neurological symptoms, such as confusion and decreased consciousness, it has never been reported to produce focal neurology. This case describes a patient with OSA, diagnosed through polysomnography, who had multiple presentations of focal stroke-like symptoms and signs, despite initial optimal post-stroke management. Symptomatic cessation was only achieved after the patient received continuous positive airway pressure therapy.

  • Neurology
  • Sleep disorders (neurology)
  • Stroke

https://doi.org/10.1136/bcr-2022-253364

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    Footnotes

    • Contributors RB managed the patient; MW drafted the manuscript; MW and RB edited and revised the manuscript.

    • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

    • Case reports provide a valuable learning resource for the scientific community and can indicate areas of interest for future research. They should not be used in isolation to guide treatment choices or public health policy.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.