Hillary Clinton Making 'Excellent Progress' Doctors Say

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton " is making excellent progress" as she recovers from a blood clot in her head.

A statement issued from her medical team said a scan discovered the clot in the space between her brain and her skull, but that it did not result in a stroke or any neurological damage.

Doctors Lisa Bardack and Gigi El-Bayoumi said they "are confident she will make a full recovery" and that she "is in good spirits, engaging with her doctors, her family, and her staff."

The statement, issued late Monday, said the secretary of state is being treated with blood thinners and will be released once the medication dose has been established.

What led to discovery

Clinton was taken to New York-Presbyterian Hospital Sunday, after doctors discovered a blood clot while performing a follow-up exam for a concussion she suffered two weeks ago, when she fainted due to dehydration from a stomach virus.

Clinton's illness forced her to cancel travel plans and public appearances in recent weeks, including a congressional hearing about the deadly events at the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya on September 11.

Doctor Raj Narayan, chair of neurosurgery at North Shore University Hospital and Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New York, told the Reuters news agency Clinton's "condition is not very common, but it certainly happens".

Narayan, who is not treating Clinton, said Clinton's fall could have triggered the production of a blood protein that causes blood to clot.

Fast response

Baltimore-based Doctor Jeffrey Quartner told VOA Monday that for any type of blood clot, quick treatment is critical.

"The most concerning aspect of a blood clot is that it can break off, form what's called an embolus, meaning a moving clot through the system, and end up in your lungs," he said. "That can cause significant problems with breathing that can potentially be life threatening."

But Quartner says in most cases where patients get timely medical treatment "the recovery is quite brisk,"

Medical history

This is not the first time Clinton has suffered a blood clot.

During a 2007 interview with the New York Daily News, Clinton said she got a blood clot when she was first lady. She told the newspaper she experienced a “terrible pain” behind her right knee as she campaigned on behalf of New York’s Democratic Senator Charles Schumer.

Clinton said the 1998 incident was the most significant health scare she ever had.

Since becoming the top U.S. diplomat of state, Clinton has been active on the world stage, visiting 112 countries and becoming the most traveled secretary of state in U.S. history.

Officials expect Secretary of State Clinton to remain at the hospital through Tuesday.

Clinton plans to step down in January, after U.S. President Barack Obama is inaugurated for a second term.