So it turns out that Hillary Clinton, US Secretary of State – who has visited more countries in office than any other – developed a right transverse sinus venous thrombosis.

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2012/12/202419.htm

Previously it was just called a ‘blood clot’ requiring ‘hospital’ and ‘blood thinners’. This followed a day of intense speculation in the media which included thousands of webpages, social media messages and, presumably many hours of broadcast TV and radio, talking over where the ‘blood clot’ was. If it were a DVT then why should she spend so much time in hospital? Some more unusual type of ‘blood clot’ was obviously the cause but no details were being released.

She had a routine MRI scan following ‘concussion’ and her doctors were keen to point out that “It did not result in a stroke, or neurological damage”.

For a potential future presidential candidate this must have caused quite a challenge. You need to quickly let people know that your health is assured and you are being cared for but telling the public that you have a clot near your brain is not what they may want to here. Transparency is important but communicating unusual medical conditions can be difficult.

Now everyone will be an expert in transverse sinus venous thrombosis.