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Published on: January 15, 2017
Managing stroke in children
1Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY, USA. wmolofsky@chpnet.org
Insights
Pediatric stroke, affecting 2-3 per 100,000 children, presents as ischemic or hemorrhagic. Causes vary, including cardiac issues, clotting disorders, and vascular malformations, influencing treatment and outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Pediatrics
- Vascular Medicine
Background:
- Pediatric stroke incidence is 2-3 per 100,000 children.
- Strokes are classified as ischemic (obstruction) or hemorrhagic (bleeding).
- Clinical presentation includes acute, recurrent, or evolving neurological deficits.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the causes, workup, and treatment of pediatric stroke.
- To highlight key risk factors for different stroke types in children.
- To understand factors influencing stroke outcomes in the pediatric population.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on pediatric stroke.
- Analysis of common etiologies for ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke.
- Discussion of diagnostic approaches including history and imaging.
Main Results:
- Ischemic stroke causes include cardiac abnormalities and coagulation disorders.
- Hemorrhagic stroke is often due to cerebrovascular malformations.
- Treatment and outcomes are determined by identified risk factors and initial injury characteristics.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric stroke has diverse causes requiring tailored diagnostic and treatment strategies.
- Early identification of risk factors and injury extent is crucial for managing pediatric stroke.
- Understanding the specific etiology guides therapeutic interventions and predicts patient outcomes.
Abstract:
The incidence of stroke in the pediatric population is estimated at between 2 and 3 per 100,000. Strokes are divided into ischemic or hemmorhagic categories, depending on whether the primary cause is obstruction or bleeding into the brain. Strokes may present with acute, recurrent, or evolving neurological deficits. There is a long and varied list of causes of stroke in children. The major causes of ischemic stroke are cardiac abnormalities and coagulation disorders. Cerebrovascular malformations account for the majority of hemmorhaghic strokes. The workup is guided by the initial history and imaging studies. Treatment is dependent on the specific risk factors identified, and outcome is dependent on the location and extent of the initial insult.
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