[Juvenile stroke - what is important?]

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Vascular Medicine
• Emergency Medicine

Background:

• Stroke in young adults (15% of ischemic strokes) poses unique diagnostic and therapeutic challenges.
• Delayed diagnosis in emergency departments limits access to crucial treatments like revascularization.
• Etiologies are diverse, including drug abuse, vasculitis, arteriopathies, and common vascular risk factors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the diagnostic and therapeutic complexities of stroke in young adults.
• To underscore the importance of recognizing stroke symptoms for timely intervention.
• To review the heterogeneous causes and effective treatment strategies for juvenile stroke.

Main Methods:

• Review of current studies on stroke in young adults.
• Analysis of etiological factors, including drug abuse, vasculitis, and arteriopathies.
• Evaluation of the efficacy and safety of reperfusion strategies.

Main Results:

• Common causes include cardioembolism, microangiopathy, and cervical artery dissection.
• Reversible vasoconstriction syndrome and posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome are notable arteriopathies.
• Intravenous fibrinolysis and mechanical thrombectomy demonstrate efficacy and safety in young stroke patients.

Conclusions:

• Prompt diagnosis and awareness of stroke symptoms in young adults are critical for effective treatment.
• A broad range of etiological factors must be considered in juvenile stroke.
• Reperfusion therapies are safe and beneficial for young adults experiencing ischemic stroke.