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What Are The Symptoms Of Bow Hunter Syndrome?
Question: My mom recently died. I think she may have been misdiagnosed with a stroke. She had neck arthritis with pain and tingling in her left arm, also walking difficulties. I think she had bow hunters syndrome
Brief Answer:
Stroke could have been caused by same mechanism as bow hunter's
Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I am sorry about your loss.
Bow hunter syndrome actually is a subtype of stroke. A stroke means that there is lack of blood flow to the brain which causes damage to the brain cells due to the lack of oxygen supply. Bow hunter's syndrome, is occlusion of a vertebral artery (the arteries supplying with blood the posterior part of your brain), hence lack of blood supply in that (vital) area. It bears that particular name because that occlusion is not present all the time but on certain neck positions, usually due to changes of the cervical spine compressing the artery. The symptoms usually are transitory, but it can lead to a stroke especially if there is also concomitant narrowing of other arteries (common at the age of 89) and that same artery due to atherosclerosis.
So having bow hunter syndrome doesn't exclude stroke, actually the only way bow hunter syndrome could lead to death is by causing a stroke.
Now I am not saying that it was your late mother's case, for that I would need more details regarding the clinical history, the onset of the symptoms that lead to her death, their progression, what did her imaging tests show on that day.
I remain at your disposal for further questions.
Stroke could have been caused by same mechanism as bow hunter's
Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I am sorry about your loss.
Bow hunter syndrome actually is a subtype of stroke. A stroke means that there is lack of blood flow to the brain which causes damage to the brain cells due to the lack of oxygen supply. Bow hunter's syndrome, is occlusion of a vertebral artery (the arteries supplying with blood the posterior part of your brain), hence lack of blood supply in that (vital) area. It bears that particular name because that occlusion is not present all the time but on certain neck positions, usually due to changes of the cervical spine compressing the artery. The symptoms usually are transitory, but it can lead to a stroke especially if there is also concomitant narrowing of other arteries (common at the age of 89) and that same artery due to atherosclerosis.
So having bow hunter syndrome doesn't exclude stroke, actually the only way bow hunter syndrome could lead to death is by causing a stroke.
Now I am not saying that it was your late mother's case, for that I would need more details regarding the clinical history, the onset of the symptoms that lead to her death, their progression, what did her imaging tests show on that day.
I remain at your disposal for further questions.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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