Epidemiology and etiology of pediatric stroke

Abstract

Stroke may be an underestimated disease in children and adolescents. Several studies report an annual incidence as high as for brain tumors: 2–13 children for arterial ischemic, 1–5 for hemorrhagic stroke and 0.67/100,000 children for cerebral venous thrombosis. Recurrence of stroke ranges from 10–20% and depends on the underlying risk factors. Genetic predisposition underlying diseases and risk factors can often not be separated very precisely. The most prominent risk factors are vasculapathies and congenital heart disease, sickle cell anemia, coagulopathies, metabolic disorders and infections. Disorders in lipometabolism and genetic predisposition are now known to play also a role in the pathogenesis of pediatric stroke. A distinct stroke etiology can be determined only in a minority of children. However, most of them (> 80%) have more than one risk factor. The purpose of this review is to describe the epidemiology, risk factors, and etiologies of pediatric stroke in order to give rationales for understanding clinical symptoms and treatment decisions.

Keywords

Stroke - epidemiology - etiology - pediatric