The natural history of lacunar infarction: the Oxfordshire Community Stroke Project.
In a consecutive series of 515 first-ever strokes in a community-based study of stroke that combined prompt clinical assessment by a study neurologist with a high rate of confirmed pathologic diagnosis, 108 cases (21%) had a lacunar syndrome. A computed tomography (CT) scan was performed in 104 (96%) of these cases. Only 3 cases had primary intracerebral hemorrhage, and another 3 had "inappropriate" areas of infarcts were seen in 34 of the remaining 98 (35%) CT scans. The crude annual incidence of lacunar infarction was 0.33/1,000. There was no excess risk among men. The case fatality rates were 1% at 1 month and 9.8% at 1 year. The rate of recurrent strokes was 11.8% in the first year. Among patients surviving 1 year, 66% were capable of independent existence.
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D012008:Recurrence; D012306:Risk; D012737:Sex Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed