Multi-territorial posterior circulation ischemic stroke after cocaine intoxication

Abstract

A 35-year-old man presented to the emergency department with altered mental status and bilateral tonic- clonic seizures. Due to a progressive decrease in cons- ciousness, he was intubated for airway protection. The patient's relatives reported that he had used cocaine, lea- ding to an initial suspicion of acute cocaine intoxica- tion. However, a head CT scan without contrast revealed a hyperdense basilar artery sign without other signs of infarction.