This chapter reviews rare stroke occurrences associated with specific bone disorders. The disorders have been divided into subgroups based on body bone pathology, specific skull diseases, and periodontal diseases. The phenomenon of fibrocartilaginous embolism (FE) is well documented in the veterinary literature. Multifocal ischemic encephalomyelopathy associated with fibrocartilaginous emboli was first described in a lamb by Jeffrey and Weels. Osteopetrosis (OP) is a rare, hereditary metabolic disorder of unknown etiology, characterized by an abnormal accumulation of bone mass, probably caused by diminished bone resorption. Cerebrovascular disorders of these patients have a mainly mechanical origin. Craniosynostosis may be associated with decreased cerebral blood flow as a result of the constriction of the brain because of the prematurely fused sutures. There is a relationship between premature arteriopathy with stroke and Camurati-Engelmann disease (CED). The association between periodontal disease and stroke has several possible pathophysiologic links.

This chapter reviews the issues women face regarding menopause and discusses what is known about the influence of menopause on epilepsy and seizures. Hormones such as estrogen and progesterone influence the brain at birth and help establish sexual differentiation between men and women. The low estrogen levels that are a part of menopause affect many different organ systems in the body. The chapter discusses some of the reported adverse effects of menopause: vascular autonomic changes, heart disease, bone disorders and osteoporosis, vaginal and urinary tract problems, sleep disturbances, and emotional problems. To assess the potential influences of menopause on women with epilepsy and seizures, one needs to consider several issues: the effect of menopause on the frequency and severity of seizures; the possibility that antiepileptic medications will complicate menopause; and whether hormone replacement therapy (HRT) during menopause is appropriate for women with epilepsy.