title: Etiology of stroke in children.
abstract: Cerebrovascular disorders are more common than once suspected, and our ability to diagnose stroke in children has improved with the development of newer imaging techniques in recent years. Children have a wide array of risk factors that promote cerebral infarction or hemorrhage, and a likely cause can eventually be pinpointed in about two thirds of patients if a thorough diagnostic evaluation is performed. Ideally, a systematic evaluation should confirm the presence of a cerebrovascular lesion and also identify the cause, concentrating initially on the more common or treatable risk factors. Recognition of the cause of a child's stroke is important, because the likelihood of recurrence depends largely on the etiology and whether treatment is available.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Texas-Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas 75235-9036.
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Riela
authors.forename: E S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Roach
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000150:complications; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D002648:Child; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006453:Hemoglobinopathies / Q000150:complications; D006474:Hemorrhagic Disorders / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008659:Metabolic Diseases / Q000150:complications; D012307:Risk Factors