For Mrs. M, the weekend after Holi had been joyful—filled with colors, laughter, and fun. But what started as a mild headache for her husband soon turned into a nightmare. Over the past few days, he had been experiencing headaches, which they assumed were migraines. However, things took a terrifying turn when he suddenly collapsed with seizures, weakness on the right side of his body, and an inability to speak.
Rushed to the hospital, doctors found that he was severely dehydrated. Further tests, including an MRI, revealed a rare but serious condition—Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis (CVST)—a type of stroke caused by a blood clot in the brain’s veins. This had even led to a brain hemorrhage.
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Tuesday 25 March 2025
Though he was immediately started on blood thinners, his condition kept getting worse. He continued having seizures, a dangerous situation called status epilepticus, which can be life-threatening. That’s when Dr. Amit Bhatti, a leading Interventional Neurologist and Stroke Specialist in Nagpur, was called in.
Instead of waiting for medications to slowly dissolve the clot, Dr. Bhatti performed an advanced, minimally invasive procedure called mechanical thrombectomy. Through a tiny 3mm hole in the leg vein, a special tube was passed into the brain to physically remove the clot. Within hours, the patient’s seizures stopped, and his weakness improved in just 24 hours—without a single cut or stitches!
On further investigation, doctors found that the patient’s busy work schedule and frequent travel had led to dehydration, which, along with rising summer temperatures, triggered clot formation in his brain.
A Warning for Everyone: Stay Hydrated!
CVST is rare but dangerous, accounting for 0.5-1% of all strokes. It affects young adults more than elderly individuals, with dehydration emerging as an important but often ignored cause.
Other risk factors include:
For women: Birth control pills, pregnancy, and hormonal therapies increase the risk.
For men: Conditions like high homocysteine levels, alcohol consumption, and genetic clotting disorders are major culprits.
Common risk factors for all: Obesity, smoking, infections, and chronic illnesses like lupus.
With summer setting in, cases of CVST are rising due to dehydration. Alcohol consumption, when combined with dehydration, further increases the risk.
Takeaway Message:
Drink plenty of water, especially in hot weather.
Avoid excessive alcohol and smoking.
If you experience persistent headaches, seizures, or sudden weakness, seek medical help immediately.
Thanks to timely intervention and advanced medical techniques, this patient was saved—but awareness can help prevent such cases in the first place.
