Cerebrovascular complications of oral contraceptives.

This analysis of cerebrovascular side effects of oral contraceptives (OCs) uses clinical observations from the authors medical unit in Hungary (a Department of Neurology). In a 5-year period 23 patients under 30 years of age were seen at the clinic and represented 1.1% of all patients seen with cerebrovascular complications. Of these 23 patients 16 were OC users (average age 25 years) and 4 were pregnant or postpartum. The carotidal territory was affected in 15 of the 16 OC users with stroke. 7 of them showed arterial occlusion 1 showed venous occlusion and 8 had no occlusion. Most of the OC users had been taking either Bisecurin (1 mg etinodioldiacetate + .05 mg ethinyl estradiol) or Ovidon (.25 mg d-norgestrel + .05 mg ethinyl estradiol).