Javaid Arif Khan, Mashoor Alam Shah.
Young Stroke - Clinical Aspects.
J Coll Physicians Surg Pak Jan ;10(12):461-6.

This study was carried out over a period of 14 months to assess the etiology, risk factors and outcome in patients with young stroke. Sixty-eight patients aged 16-45 years (irrespective of sex and geographical origin) with neurological deficit were included in our study. Patients with head injury, transient ischemic attack (TIA) and space occupying lesion were excluded. History, thorough physical examination and relevant investigations were performed while modern imaging techniques and protein culture and sensitivity and antiphospholipid antibodies were done where indicated. Out of total number of 260 acute strokes, 68 (26%) were included according to criteria. Thirty-nine (57.35%) patients suffered ischemic stroke while 29 (42.65%) patients suffered haemorrhagic stroke. The frequency of hypertensive intracerebral haemorrhage was 32.35%, cardioembolism 20.58%, infection 11.76%, stroke related to pregnancy 19.29%, vasculitis 5.88%, atherothrombotic 4.41%, anomalous basilar artery 1.47% and secondary thrombocytosis 1.47%. Subarachnoid haemorrhage occurred in three (4.41%) of our patients. Hypertension was the most common risk factor (44.11%). Thirteen (19.12%) of our patients expired while 55 (80.88%) survived giving a case fatality rate of 19.12%. It was concluded that the causes of stroke in young adults are numerous, commonest cause was ischemia and hypertension was the major risk factor.

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