Sharon's condition 'concealed'

2006-01-24 13:47

Jerusalem - Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's health problems were more serious than doctors let on after he had a minor stroke in December, including a large aneurysm in the septum between the chambers of his heart, said reports on Tuesday.

The reports said Sharon, comatose since having a massive second stroke on January 4, also suffered from a shunt that caused blood to flow in the wrong direction through a tiny hole in the septum that he was born with.

The reports said the aneurysm was a known source of cerebral blood clots. The prime minister also had other conditions in the cardiac septum that made him vulnerable to blood clots that could enter his brain.

Sharon's condition 'generally good'

After the first stroke, on December 18, which was caused by a small blood clot, Sharon's neurologist, Dr Tamir Ben-Hur, said the prime minister's overall condition was generally good, except for his obesity.

Blood thinners were prescribed to lessen the risk of further clotting, but they also increased the risk of haemorrhaging in the brain.

Doctors disclosed that Sharon had a tiny hole in his cardiac septum, which was to have been repaired on January 5. On the eve of that procedure, he had the second stroke.

The second stroke was caused by a burst blood vessel and attended by severe cerebral bleeding, raising questions over whether the prescription of blood thinners was in order.

Hadassah Hospital spokesperson Yael Bossem-Levy said: "Nothing in Haaretz is new. Everything that appears in the item was discussed at the news conference" where the hole in the septum was disclosed.

- AP