Seizures associated with stroke in childhood

Seventy-three consecutive children younger than 17 years of age seen from 1978 to 1992 with acute hemiplegia from stroke, were retrospectively reviewed to evaluate the incidence of seizures and the risks of recurrent seizures after stroke. The population consisted of 56 children with cerebral infarction, 12 with intracranial hemorrhage, and 5 with transient ischemic attack. Children whose strokes occurred in the neonatal period and those secondary to trauma, malignancy, or infection were excluded. Mean follow-up time was 43.5 months (range: 12-156 months). At least 1 seizure occurred in 36 patients (49.3%) and recurrent seizures occurred in 21 patients (28.8%). Recurrent seizures developed more often among patients who had initial seizures with delayed onset (P < .05). In 56 patients with cerebral infarction, 16 of 31 patients (51.6%) with cortical involvement documented by neuroradiologic studies and 1 of 25 patients (4%) without cortical involvement developed recurrent seizures (P < .01). In 12 patients with intracranial hemorrhage, 3 of 10 patients with cortical involvement and none of 2 patients without cortical involvement developed recurrent seizures. It is concluded that seizures commonly occur in childhood stroke. Risk factors for recurrent seizures include later onset of initial seizures and presence of cortical involvement.