Revista de Neurologia 2013-03-16

[Ingestion of anabolic steroids and ischaemic stroke. A clinical case report and review of the literature].

Carlos García-Esperón, José Vicente Hervás-García, Marta Jiménez-González, Natalia Pérez de la Ossa-Herrero, Meritxell Gomis-Cortina, Laura Dorado-Bouix, Elena López-Cancio Martinez, Carlos H Castaño-Duque, Mónica Millán-Torné, Antonio Dávalos

Index: Rev. Neurol. 56(6) , 327-31, (2013)

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Abstract

INTRODUCTION. Anabolic-androgenic steroids are synthetic substances derived from testosterone that are employed for their trophic effect on muscle tissue, among other uses. Their consumption can give trigger a series of adverse side effects on the body, including the suppression of the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis as well as liver, psychiatric and cardiovascular disorders. The most common effects are altered fat profiles and blood pressure values, cardiac remodelling, arrhythmias or myocardial infarcts. CASE REPORT. We report the case of a young male, with a background of anabolic-androgenic steroids abuse, who visited because of an acute neurological focus in the right hemisphere related with an ischaemic stroke. The aetiological study, including cardiac monitoring, echocardiograph and imaging studies (magnetic resonance and arteriography) and lab findings (thrombophilia, serology, autoimmunity, tumour markers) showed no alterations. CONCLUSIONS. The association between consumption of anabolic-androgenic steroids and cardiovascular pathologies is known, but its relation with cerebrovascular disease has not received so much attention from researchers.