Hemiplegic migraine and stroke in Mary Shelley

Abstract

Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin Shelley (1797–1851) was the author of Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus. In 1839, she had recurrent, severe headaches whose severity, location, and duration were variable. 1 Smith JM Mary Shelley. Twayne Publishers, New York. NY1996 Google Scholar These headaches were associated with dizziness; pain in the legs, right hand, and right eye; and episodes of transient partial paralysis of the right leg and hand, with tremors, convulsive seizures, and severe pain on the top of the head. 2 Tomalin C The Life and Death of Mary Shelley Wollstonecraft. Penguin Books, London1992 Google Scholar She was diagnosed with psychosomatic illness in 1842, “functional derangement in the nerves or brain” in 1845, and back pain and “neuralgia of the heart” in 1846. 2 Tomalin C The Life and Death of Mary Shelley Wollstonecraft. Penguin Books, London1992 Google Scholar , 3 Carter R Mary Shelley's nightmare (1797–1851): Frankenstein; her life, literary legacy, and last illness. World J Surg. 1999; 23: 1195-1201 Crossref PubMed Scopus (2) Google Scholar In early 1847, she underwent surgery to relieve pressure on her spinal nerves that left her weak, barely able to move, and in intolerable pain. 2 Tomalin C The Life and Death of Mary Shelley Wollstonecraft. Penguin Books, London1992 Google Scholar , 3 Carter R Mary Shelley's nightmare (1797–1851): Frankenstein; her life, literary legacy, and last illness. World J Surg. 1999; 23: 1195-1201 Crossref PubMed Scopus (2) Google Scholar Symptoms worsened in November, 1849, when she reported severe head pain, weakness on her right side, and speech impairment. 1 Smith JM Mary Shelley. Twayne Publishers, New York. NY1996 Google Scholar She became paralysed and intermittently aphasic and had seizures. Shelley died on Feb 1, 1851, aged 53 years. After external examination, but no autopsy, the supposed cause of the death was given as a tumour in the left hemisphere that was thought to have been present for a number of years. 1 Smith JM Mary Shelley. Twayne Publishers, New York. NY1996 Google Scholar , 3 Carter R Mary Shelley's nightmare (1797–1851): Frankenstein; her life, literary legacy, and last illness. World J Surg. 1999; 23: 1195-1201 Crossref PubMed Scopus (2) Google Scholar