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Published on: April 21, 2017
Causes and clinical presentation of stroke in children in Cameroon
Daniel A Kago-Tague1, Fabricia N Guimeya1, Joseph Kamtchum-Tatuene2
1Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
Insights
Pediatric stroke in Cameroon predominantly affects children around age 6, with ischemic stroke being most common. Sickle cell disease is the leading cause of stroke in this population.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
Background:
- Stroke in children is a significant cause of acquired childhood disability.
- Understanding the specific etiological factors and clinical presentations in different geographic regions is crucial for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the causes and clinical characteristics of stroke in children in Cameroon.
- To identify the most frequent etiological factors contributing to pediatric stroke in the study population.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective study was conducted analyzing the medical records of 47 children diagnosed with stroke.
- Data collected included clinical manifestations, paraclinical findings, and etiological factors.
- Statistical analysis involved summarizing key variables using mean ± standard deviation and frequencies.
Main Results:
- The study included 47 children with a mean age of 6.5 years and a male-to-female ratio of 1.8:1.
- Ischemic stroke (87.2%) was more common than hemorrhagic stroke (12.8%), with hemiplegia/hemiparesis as the primary clinical sign (95.7%).
- Sickle cell disease was the predominant etiological factor for ischemic stroke (72.3%) and hemorrhagic stroke (66.6%).
Conclusions:
- Pediatric stroke in urban Cameroon typically occurs around age 6, with a strong predilection for ischemic stroke leading to motor deficits.
- Sickle cell disease is identified as the primary etiological factor, highlighting the need for awareness and management strategies for this condition in pediatric stroke cases.
Objective:
The aim was to determine the aetiological factors and clinical and paraclinical aspects of stroke in children in Cameroon.
Design:
retrospective study of the records.
Setting:
At two university hospitals in the city of Yaoundé (Yaoundé Gynaeco-Obstetric and Paediatric Hospital and the Chantal Biya Foundation Mother and Child Centre).
Participants:
47 children with stroke for seven and half years.
Interventions:
Data were collected from medical records. The variables studied included clinical and paraclinical data.
Main Outcome Measures:
Key variables were summarised in the form of mean ± standard deviation, frequencies and percentages.
Results:
The mean age was 6.5±2.8 years. The Male Female sex ratio was 1.8:1. The average consultation time was 31.8 hours. Hemiplegia/hemiparesis (95.7%) was the main clinical manifestation, associated with signs such as convulsions (27.7%), fever (46.8%) and pallor (27.7%). Ischaemic and haemorrhagic stroke accounted for 41 cases (87.2%) and 6 cases (12.8%), respectively. The aetiological factors for ischaemic stroke were sickle cell disease (72.3%), sepsis (4.2%), protein S deficiency (2.1%) and dilated cardiomyopathy with mitral insufficiency (2.1%). The aetiology was not found in 3 patients (6.4%) with ischaemic stroke. Apart from sickle cell disease (66.6%), the aetiological factors for haemorrhagic stroke were idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (16.7%) and haemophilia B (16.7%). Ischaemia mainly involved the middle cerebral artery (86.1%). Haemorrhagic attacks were mainly supratentorial.
Conclusion:
In urban Cameroon, strokes frequently occur around the age of 6, with a predominance of ischaemic strokes resulting in motor deficits. Sickle cell disease is the most common cause.
Funding:
None declared.
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