INCIDENCE AND ETIOLOGY OF PEDIATRIC STROKE IN SOUTHERN KHORASAN

Introduction: ischemic stroke is rarely seen in childhood. the pediatric causes of stroke are very different from adult causes.methods: this population-based study was conducted to determine the incidence, clinical manifestations and etiology of pediatric ischemic stroke in southern khorasan, iran, during 2002-2007. in this province, every child with possible diagnosis of stroke is referred to a stroke neurologist and routinely admitted to the pediatric division of vali-e-asr tertiary care hospital. the diagnosis of ischemic stroke was made based on the clinical presentation and brain imagery. all of the patients underwent a standard battery of diagnostic investigations.results: seventeen children with ischemic stroke (7 females, 10 males) were evaluated. the incidence of pediatric ischemic stroke in khorasan province is 1.8 cases per 100,000 children population per year. meningoencephalitis-induced vasculopathy constituted 23.5% of the etiology followed by fallot tetralogy, head trauma, dehydration, migraine, and hypercoagulable state. 23.5% of our patients had uncertain causes of stroke. in-hospital mortality of our pediatric ischemic stroke patients was 11.7%.conclusions: the incidence and clinical characteristics of pediatric brain infarction in iran is the same as in other studies. meningoencephalitis-induced vasculopathy is the most common determined etiology of pediatric ischemic stroke in southern khorasan.