Antiphospholipid antibodies and cerebral artery dissection: two frequent causes of brain ischemia in young adults.
As part of a multicenter study on ischemic stroke in the young, we report the occurrence of high antiphospholipid antibody (aPLs) levels and cerebral dissection in 75 patients. These represent the two most frequent non-thromboembolic causes of cerebral ischemia in our population. Increased aPL titres were found in nine cases (12%); cerebral artery dissection in eleven (14%). Our data stress the need to modify the classical diagnostic approach to cerebral ischemia by including hematological assessments and new neuroimaging techniques as screening tests.
Dipartimento di Scienze Neurologiche, Università degli Studi La Sapienza, Roma.
F
F
Girmenia
C
C
Argentino
E
E
Di Scipio
F
F
Orzi
C
C
Pozzilli
M
M
Rasura
J
J
Faroni
G
G
Valesini
C
C
Fieschi
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000784:Aortic Dissection / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D017152:Antibodies, Antiphospholipid / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002532:Intracranial Aneurysm / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D017152:Antibodies, Antiphospholipid; D015415:Biomarkers