Mortality in acute cerebral infarction in young adults--a ten-year experience.
We reviewed the one-month mortality among 213 patients aged fifteen to forty-five years (mean thirty-five) with acute cerebral infarction (CI) evaluated during the period July 1, 1977, to February 1, 1988. Atherosclerotic cerebral infarction (ACI) was diagnosed in 59 (27.7%) patients, 53 (24.9%) had non-atherosclerotic vasculopathies (NAV); 46 (21.6%) had cardioembolic infarcts (CEI). Hematologically related disorders were diagnosed in 30 (14.1%) patients; the cause of CI could not be established in 25 (11.7%) patients. Fourteen patients (9 men, 5 women, mean age 34.8 years), (6.6%) died within thirty days of their CI: 7 had CEI (7/46,15.2%); 4 had ACI (4/59, 6.7%); and 3 had NAV (3/53, 5.6%). Our data suggest that young patients with acute CI have a thirty-day mortality rate lower than older patients. Deaths were most common in patients with CEI. Brain edema and herniation accounted for 6 (43%) of the deaths.
Biller
J
J
Department of Neurology, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City.
Adams
H P
HP
Bruno
A
A
Love
B B
BB
Marsh
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EE
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000150:complications; D002423:Cause of Death; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality*; D004617:Embolism / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000150:complications; D006402:Hematologic Diseases / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D007484:Iowa / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors