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Published on: August 18, 2015
Stroke in Saudi children
A Al-Sulaiman1, O Bademosi, H Ismail
1Department of Neurology, King Fahd Hospital of the University, Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia.
Insights
Pediatric stroke is uncommon in Saudi children, with ischemic strokes being most prevalent. Further research is needed to fully understand childhood stroke in the region.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Pediatrics
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Stroke in children is a significant concern, yet its incidence and characteristics in specific populations require further elucidation.
- Understanding the clinical features and neuroimaging findings of pediatric stroke is crucial for diagnosis and management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report the clinical features and neuroimaging correlates of stroke in Saudi children.
- To determine the incidence and types of stroke in the pediatric population at a tertiary care hospital in Saudi Arabia.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of pediatric stroke cases over a 5-year period.
- Review of clinical data, neuroimaging findings (CT scans, MRI), and etiological factors.
- Calculation of annual stroke incidence in the pediatric population.
Main Results:
- 31 cases of stroke identified among 20,895 pediatric admissions, yielding an annual incidence of 29.7 per 100,000.
- Ischemic strokes constituted 90% of cases, with a 2:1 male-to-female ratio.
- Neuroimaging revealed abnormalities in 82% of CT scans and 91% of MRI scans; etiology remained undetermined in 65% of cases.
Conclusions:
- Stroke is relatively uncommon in Saudi children, with ischemic stroke being the predominant type.
- The study highlights the importance of neuroimaging in diagnosing pediatric stroke and the challenges in identifying etiological factors.
- Further multicenter studies are recommended to provide a comprehensive understanding of childhood stroke in Saudi Arabia.
Abstract:
This study reports the clinical features and neuroimaging correlates of stroke in Saudi children seen over a 5-year period at the King Fahd Hospital of the University, Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia. During the study period, 31 (18 boys, 13 girls; mean age, 26.2 months) of the 20,895 children seen had stroke; the annual stroke incidence was 29.7 per 100,000 in the pediatric population. Ischemic strokes accounted for 90% and hemorrhagic 10% of the cases, respectively. The boys-to-girls ratio for ischemic stroke was 2:1. Cranial computed tomographic scans and magnetic resonance imaging findings were abnormal in 82% and 91%, respectively. The etiologic factor was undetermined in 65% of the cases. Our results suggest that stroke is uncommon in Saudi children. However, further studies evaluating a larger population in different clinical settings are required to provide a more comprehensive picture of stroke in children in this area.
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