Mendelian and mitochondrial disorders associated with stroke

Several hereditary disorders induce angiopathy in the intracranial cerebrovasculature and thus cause ischemic strokes. MELAS is a maternally inherited mitochondrial disorder that produces stroke-like events. Sickle cell disease, which is the result of a single base pair substitution, is a major cause of strokes in children. Homocystinuria, an autosomal recessive syndrome, produces premature atherosclerosis. Hereditary cerebroretinal vasculopathy is an autosomal dominant disorder that causes retinal and brain infarctions. Fabry disease is an x-linked disorder that can cause stroke in adults. Cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy is an autosomal dominant syndrome that is associated with ischemic stroke and migraine-like headaches. The clinical presentation, stroke pathophysiology, and gene defects associated with these heritable disorders are reviewed.