[Acute cerebrovascular disorders caused by ovulation inhibitors]

Cerebral circulatory disturbances occurred in 42 women between the ages of 17 and 52 who were taking oral contraceptives. The disturbances were primarily in the form of cerebral haemorrhages. The symptoms ranged from ephemeral neurological deficiencies to massive hemi-syndromes. Complete remission occurred in 16 patients, partial remission in 24 patients, two patients died. The patients were subdivided into two age groups, one comprising 31 persons between 17 and 39, and the other 11 persons between 41 and 52 years of age. The aim was to ascertain facts which were related to the possibility of haemorrhage in women taking ovulation inhibitors. The first finding, statistically significant, was that the possibility of a cerebro-vascular disturbance increases with the period during which the pill is taken and that this possibility is especially great in the presence of migraine which may also be existent in the family, and in the case of hypertension. The second finding, not significant however, was that the risk was higher in the presence of several factors in one person. These factors include familial factors with a predisposition to migraine and thrombosis, past illnesses of the peripheral vascular system, a predisposition to allergic reactions, obesity and kidney damage. Should one of these situations or both prevail, the patient will be advised to stop taking the pill, and the contraceptive will be discontinued if certain prodromes are observed in a general form, or if focal symptoms occur.