Sensorimotor stroke; clinical features, MRI findings, and cardiac and vascular concomitants in 32 patients.
OBJECTIVE
Sensorimotor stroke (SMS) is often included among the lacunar syndromes, although the underlying cause of this stroke-subtype is less well documented. To this end we analysed 32 patients presenting with a sensorimotor syndrome.


METHODS
The study protocol included vascular risk factors, echocardiography, Doppler sonography of carotid arteries, CT scan and MRI of the brain.


RESULTS
There were 23 men and 9 women, mean age 65.7 years. Hypertension was present in 28% and diabetes in 19%. In all, 63% had sensorimotor deficit of faciobrachiocrural areas and 37% had faciobrachial or brachiocrural deficits. MRI disclosed a presumably relevant infarct in 26 patients (81%); 20 patients (62%) localized to the territory of small perforating arteries, 3 patients (9.5%) in the internal borderzone, and 3 patients (9.5%) in cortical territories. Eight of 20 deep infarcts were larger than 15 mm. No hemorrhage or non-vascular lesion was found. A potential cardioembolic source was present in 5 patients (16%), whereas 2 patients (6%) had an ipsilateral carotid stenosis >50%.


CONCLUSIONS
Small vessel disease was the most likely cause in 69% of our patients with SMS, whereas 31% had a potential cardioembolic source, large artery disease or infarcts not compatible with perforating artery disease.
Staaf
G
G
Department of Neurology, University Hospital, Lund, Sweden.
Samuelsson
M
M
Lindgren
A
A
Norrving
B
B
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002542:Intracranial Embolism and Thrombosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016472:Motor Neuron Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D012307:Risk Factors; D012678:Sensation Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D017585:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial