Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was treated with blood thinners on Monday at a New York hospital to help dissolve a blood clot in her head and doctors were confident she would make a full recovery . Clinton was admitted to New York Presbyterian Hospital on Sunday due to the clot that was discovered during a follow-up exam related to a concussion she suffered this month , her spokesman , Philippe Reines , said . The clot was located in the vein between the brain and and the skull behind Clinton 's right ear and did not result in any stroke or neurological damage , her doctors said in a statement . Clinton was treated with blood thinners to help dissolve the clot and would be released once the medication dose had been established , they said . `` In all other aspects of her recovery , the secretary is making excellent progress and we are confident she will make a full recovery . She is in good spirits , engaging with her doctors , her family , and her staff , '' Clinton 's doctors said . Blood clots : 4 things you need to know . Clinton , 65 , was suffering from a stomach virus earlier this month when she fainted because of dehydration , causing the concussion . Blood clots `` are clumps that occur when blood hardens from a liquid to a solid , '' according to the National Institutes for Health . Clots can form inside veins or arteries or even the heart , the NIH says . `` A blockage in the vein will usually cause fluid buildup and swelling , '' the NIH website says . Among the possible threats : Sometimes , a `` clot can break loose and travel from one location in the body to another . '' Read more : Hillary Clinton fast facts . Clinton spent the holidays with her family last week after working from home . She was scheduled to return to work at the State Department this week after being sidelined for most of the past month . Her illness forced her to bow out of testifying on December 20 before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on the deadly September attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi , Libya . Clinton , a one-time presidential candidate who is the source of constant speculation she might run again in 2016 , plans to step down from the State Department once a replacement is confirmed by the Senate . President Barack Obama has nominated Sen. John Kerry to succeed her . Report blames poor security , inadequate response in Benghazi attack .
The clot was found in the vein between the brain and the skull behind her right ear . She had been diagnosed with a benign tumor called an intracranial aneurysm, which is caused by blood clots that form inside of the brain. Clinton 's doctors expect her to make a full recovery .