[Cerebrovascular accident in young adults. A study of 52 cases].
OBJECTIVE
A retrospective study of ischaemic and haemorrhagic cerebral vascular accidents in patients under 45 years of age, admitted to hospital Severo Ochoa (Area sanitaria 9 de la Comunidad de Madrid) during a 6 year period.


METHODS
23 CVAs in women and 29 in men were studied. The aetiology of each episode was determined following preestablished criteria.


RESULTS
Aetiology: cardiac 13 (25%), atherosclerosis: 8 (15%), haematological: 6 (11%), non-atherosclerotic: 8 (15%), migraine: 1 (2%), hypertensive: 2 (3%), unknown: 15 (29%). There was a predominance of men in the patients with atherosclerosis. These also had more cardiovascular risk factors and were older than the other patients. All patients with CVA due to antiphospholipid antibodies had multiple CVAs. Examinations used to establish the aetiology were: echocardiogram, angiography, carotid doppler, hypercoagulability studies and the clinical history.


CONCLUSIONS
In spite of extensive study, 30% of the CVAs in young people still have no aetiological diagnosis. In general in ischaemic CVAs, there is good recovery of the neurological defects and a low mortality. The detection and oral anticoagulation of patients with a source of cardiac emboli, and the elimination of cardiovascular risk factors would probably considerably reduce the incidence of ischaemic stroke in young adults.
Martínez-Avilés
P
P
Servicio de Medicina Interna, Hospital Severo Ochoa.
Barba
R
R
Andújar
C
C
Cantón
R
R
Solís
J
J
D000328:Adult; D017152:Antibodies, Antiphospholipid; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D017152:Antibodies, Antiphospholipid
Accidente cerebrovascular en adultos jóvenes. Estudio de 52 casos.