Basilar artery strokes in children: good outcomes with conservative medical treatment

To describe outcomes and outcome predictors in childhood basilar artery stroke (BAS).

We prospectively enrolled children with BAS with or without basilar artery occlusion (BAO) in the Toronto Children's Stroke Registry from 1992 to 2009. We assessed presenting features and outcomes including Pediatric Stroke Outcome Measure scores.

Among 578 children with acute arterial ischemic stroke, 27 had BAS (4.6% including neonates, 6% excluding neonates). Twenty-four (14 males, 10 females) children met study criteria (mean age at stroke was 8 y 10 mo; range 0-17 y). Eleven children had BAO. Aspirin or anticoagulation was given to 15 children. None received tissue plasminogen activator or endovascular treatments. At mean follow-up (3 y 2 mo, range 1 mo-11 y 8 mo), 12 had a 'good outcome' (seven normal, five insignificant deficit) and 12 had 'poor outcome' (10 moderate or severe deficit, two acute deaths). Larger infarct size (≥50% of axial brainstem diameter) independently predicted poor outcome (p=0.02; odds ratio 21.2, 95% confidence interval 1.6-274.9) but not BAO, altered level of consciousness, or age.

Compared with adults, in childhood BAS death is rare and survivors frequently have good outcomes. Aggressive endovascular interventions may not be justifiable in this population.