Clinical Mysteries • Neurology
The Headache After Delivery
The presentation
Days after delivery, a woman developed severe headache and a focal seizure.
The first explanation was plausible, but the pattern did not fully fit. A deliberate second look focused on physiology, medication/exposure history, serial observations and the clue that the initial diagnosis could not explain.
The turn
The postpartum prothrombotic state and neurological features demanded venous imaging.
Diagnosis
Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis
Why this case matters
Postpartum headache plus neurology is a red flag.
Take-home message: When the clinical course contradicts the working diagnosis, stop escalating the same treatment and rebuild the problem from first principles.