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Subscribe to RSSThe Secretary of State has been undergoing treatment for a blood clot just below her ear that was reportedly caused by the concussion she suffered in mid-December. She is expected to make a complete recovery. NBC News chief science correspondent Robert Bazell reports.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton remained hospitalized Tuesday for a blood clot in her head, but her doctors say she has no brain damage and is expected to recover completely.
Clinton, who fainted and suffered a concussion earlier this month, is being treated with blood thinners to help shrink the clot, which is in one of the veins between the brain and her skull.
"In the course of a routine follow-up MRI on Sunday, the scan revealed that a right transverse sinus venous thrombosis had formed,” Dr. Lisa Bardack of Mt. Kisco Medical Group in New York and Dr. Gigi El-Bayoumi of George Washington University said in a joint statement.
“This is a clot in the vein that is situated in the space between the brain and the skull behind the right ear. It did not result in a stroke, or neurological damage. To help dissolve this clot, her medical team began treating the secretary with blood thinners. She will be released once the medication dose has been established.”
Sec. of State Hillary Clinton was supposed to return to work later this week until doctors discovered a blood clot had formed in a vein between her brain and skull. NBC's Andrea Mitchell reports.
The statement helps answer questions about Clinton’s condition, outside experts said. “This is different than a lot of assumptions that people made, which is that it was a deep vein thrombosis in her leg,” said Dr. Alex Valadka, a spokesman for the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and a practicing neurologist in Austin, Texas.
The statement from Clinton’s doctors suggested she would recover fully.
“In all other aspects of her recovery, the Secretary is making excellent progress and we are confident she will make a full recovery. She is in good spirits, engaging with her doctors, her family, and her staff,” they said.
Valadka said such a clot can be very dangerous.
“This could potentially be very serious because so much blood goes through your brain,” Valadka told NBC news. “If you block one of the major draining pathways, you can get a stroke.”
Valadka said standard treatment would be to infuse a bloodthinner such as heparin right away, and to then put a patient onto blood thinner pills for a fews weeks or months.
“The interesting question is how is this related to her concussion, if at all?” Valadka asked.
Clinton, 65, is known for hitting the road hard and she’s logged close to a million miles in travel, having visited 112 countries while in office. She had planned to step down in 2013 and was widely considered a potential front-runner for the Democratic nomination for president, if she chose to run again in 2016.
The extensive travel and dehydration could predispose someone to such a blood clot, Valadka said.
“These dural venous sinus thromboses, they can happen spontaneously on their own without any trauma, without any blow to the head,” Valadka said. “Is it just a coincidence?”
But a blow to the back of the head could have damaged the vein, causing the clot, he added.
Dr. Jack Ansell of the New York University School of Medicine agreed.
“This condition is certainly not common but it’s not rare, either, and certain patients are prone to it,” Ansell said. “They include those who have head trauma, as she did, and people who have other underlying tendencies to have blood clots. It’s a serious problem but it is certainly one that is eminently treatable. I would expect her get better.”
Kevin Lamarque / Reuters
Hillary Clinton's life has taken her from first lady to senator to secretary of state.
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It's nice to see someone her age recover from this. My grandmother was only 79 and did not recover.
Recover ? That's too bad.
Gee - you sound like such an upstanding human being - I pray you have someone in your life that cares about you cause you need it. What an ugly comment.
I fear america will never be on the right track again. It would take a miracle to recover from all the damage these slugs in office have created.
They should be thrown in prison and the inmates permitted to have a ceremonial "pouring of the salt."
Hillary looks like the joker.
And you comment has WHAT to do with this article?
I hear she has a severe case of "Oblameo."
I wish Hillary the best and a speedy recovery so she can testify under oath and expose the fraud Obama really is. This is the least she can do before after being his obedient puppet, it's not too late for partial redemption..............
i love you Hillary Clinton!
Necrophylia..?
Good news about americas next president!
Hillary quote; "I'm not a stand by your man woman."
She probally fell of of Janet Reno and hurt her head
I am praying for you Hilary and hoping you get better soon, i have been an admirer of you sense you first came on the seen with your husband as first lady, and all you have done sense, the world is praying for you and God listens to prayers, wishing you a Happy New Year and all the best for 2013,
OMG I just threw up in my mouth.
i just puked
Same here, projectile vomiting.
There's nothing worse than poor grammar, diana. Learn to spell and maybe people will regard your opinions as noteworthy.
Good grammar or not,
crap is not noteworthy.
after treatment she is going to have a complete loss of memory
Mrs Clinton,
I may not like some of your views with regards to politics and the deals behind closed doors, or other personal matters you had to endure with regards to your significant other.
That being stated there isn't any person in the Congress, Senate or the White House (either side) that is shall we say innocent or upstanding with integrity and there never be with the current system and how each side plays off of each other to rile the citizens to pick sides, while screwing them regardless of the side they pick to defend.
But its still the best system in the world for now.
So I wish you a speedy recovery and hope its not serious.
Ya what he said, You have some splainen to do Lucy!
Hillary should have received the same treatment the Ambassador Chris Stevens received - NOTHING!
I've never been a big Hillary fan but wish her the best in her recovery.
Unfortunately this health problem will last 1 day longer than the Benghazi hearings.,
Jerry D. Williamson, thank you for being human and showing compassion for a fellow human being. I too don't agree with all that is going on in DC at this time - from either side but how can the majority of the above posts be called anything but cruel and as un-Christian as can be. And I'm not some bible thumping fanatic but how can you not wish but a speedy recovery to a fellow human being??? It's a sad commentary on our country and our people if this is the way most feel. It saddens me - Mrs. Clinton, speedy recovery to you and all the best in 2013 no matter what road you travel.
She would have made a MUCH better president than Obama. She has always cared more for the average-joe.
Probably cared more for the average Jolene.
Prayers for a speedy recovery!
JDW, Just wait a decade or more and find yourself in the South America-like place with just One word to describe the system. Both start with the word "SUPER". The republicans SUPER-RICH and the REST SUPER-POOR.
Then talk to me about the "best".
Have you EVER been to Western Europe, say NORWAY, you obviously have no idea what goes on there.
Hillary you are looking older sooner than you should maybe you should retire?
She is prone to clots, having had a DVT a few years ago. She needs to drop a bunch of weight, exercise daily, and start eating correctly if she doesn't want another clot.
Hillary you are looking older than you should maybe you should retire.
Gawd - you Benghazi conspiracy theory people are dumb as a box of rocks & grasping in the dark....
Little Susie Soros.. Late for her Marxist Martyrs Day Parade
I don't know about dumb, but certainly uneducated and totally soulless. Did liberals like myself or most civilized Americans go on and on after 9/11 talking this awful stuff about President Bush? No. He had a 90% approval rating shortly after. But, of course, THREE THOUSAND or so Americans here on American soil were killed by terrorists on President Bush's watch. Did I hold him personally responsible? No. Unlike Secretary Clinton though, he never said it was "his" responsibility since he was our leader like she said it was "her" responsibility as Sec. of State for what went on in the State Department. I guess that means she's the better person - a much better person than these "Benghazi conspiracy theory people."
But there's nothing you nor I can do about this type of person, beachbum. As we say here in the South, "they had no raising." Let them spew their venom. Words can't hurt Ms. Clinton. It's better than one of them taking their "new" semi-assault rifles and shooting up some place. Let them vent their hate with a keyboard.
I think Hillary and Candy Crowley both have a future on SNL like Janet Reno did a decade ago. I spoof about coverups and falsehoods and stating they absolutely take reponsibilty for the tragic events. Hmmm...they could be lesbians and....she could call Bill and could make a cameo telling her was "just sttin' around and was gonna order a pizza and guess who could be the delivery girl and...
If any TV writers steal my idea I want royalties!!
THE BUCK..STOPS..With HILLARY CLI NTON...WHAT ..DID ..SHE DO..?
For Seven and a Half Hours..
While CHRIS STEVENS was REPEATEDLY SODOMIZED,..TORTURED...And Murdered..
Apparently..SHE..DID...NOTHING..
There is No "Accountability" Issue ..HILLARY FAILED.....
MONTHS LATER..WHERE is The CULPABILITY..?
She now has an excuse ! Benghazi ? I do not recall. Must have been the Obama Benghazi blood clot, concussion scenario. Yeah , that's the ticket ! LMFAO