In a Facebook post in late february, doctor Huang Xuan shared a unique clinical case involving a 60-year-old male patient, a senior executive at a company. The man was admitted to the emergency room with an unusual symptom: he clearly saw messages on LINE, emails, and texts but could not comprehend their content.

Despite his inability to read, the patient communicated fluently, and his face was not distorted or trembling, which are typical signs often seen in stroke victims. Doctor Huang noted that the man repeatedly described his condition, fearing doctors would mistake it for a mental health issue. However, a subsequent brain computed tomography (CT) scan confirmed the patient was not fabricating his symptoms. He had experienced a stroke due to a left occipital lobe hemorrhage, affecting the visual cortex.

Anh minh hoa: CDC

Doctor Huang explained that the left occipital lobe is responsible for visual control. The hematoma destroyed this area, severing the connection between the visual and language centers, directly causing "pure alexia". In this condition, patients see text but their brain fails to decode its meaning. Medical literature classifies this as a posterior circulation stroke, accounting for 10-20% of all stroke cases. The absence of typical symptoms like facial distortion or limb weakness often leads to patient complacency.

Medical experts warn the public not to mechanically apply the traditional stroke recognition rule (FAST – facial drooping, arm weakness, speech difficulty) to all cases. Sometimes, a cerebrovascular event can begin with a sudden inability to read a familiar message. People should go to the hospital immediately if they or a family member experience the situation of "seeing words but not understanding their meaning" to allow doctors to intervene in the cerebrovascular issue promptly. Delaying treatment allows the hematoma to expand, increases intracranial pressure, threatens life, or leaves permanent neurological sequelae.

Binh Minh (According to Business Today)