Frequency, clinical features and risk factors of lacunar infarction (data from a stroke registry in South India)

Analysis of 893 patients of ischaemic stroke in the stroke registry of Nizam's institute of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad is presented. 16% of them had lacunar infarction. The mean age at presentation was 56.9 years and male to female ratio was 3.5:1. The common risk factors included hypertension(62%),diabetes(38%) and smoking(28%). Six percent had an underlying cardiac source of embolism and none had significant (>50%) extracranial carotid atherosclerosis. In 22% of patients, no obvious risk factors could be identified. The frequency of risk factors was similar in patients with lacunar and non- lacunar infarctions. However, patients with lacunar infarction had higher frequency of diabetes and absence of significant (>50%) extracranial carotid artery disease. Pure motor hemiparesis was the presenting syndrome in 45% patients. Ataxic hemiparesis and sensorimotor stroke accounted for 18% each and dysarthria-clumsy hand syndrome for 14%. This study suggests that the frequency, risk factors and clinical profile of lacunar infarction in our stroke registry is similar to most of the western stroke registries.