Long-term prognosis of vascular hemiballismus.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to prospectively evaluate the long-term prognosis of hemiballismus due to first-ever ischemic strokes.


METHODS
A cohort of 27 patients with hemiballismus due to first-ever ischemic strokes was followed for a mean period of 30 months (range, 5 days to 150 months).


RESULTS
During the follow-up period there were 11 deaths (44%). The survival rate was 85% (95% CI, 71% to 99%) at 6 months, 81% (95% CI, 65% to 97%) at 15 months, 51% (95% CI, 24% to 78%) at 36 months, and only 32% (95% CI, 4% to 60%) at 150 months. The survival rate free from recurrent stroke was 96% (95% CI, 87% to 100%) at 6 months, 91% (95% CI, 79% to 100%) at 12 months, 80% (95% CI, 61% to 99%) at 24 months, and 27% (95% CI, 0% to 71%) at 150 months.


CONCLUSIONS
The long-term prognosis of patients with vascular hemiballismus is similar to that of other stroke patients, ie, it follows the etiologic pattern of hemiballismus.
Ristic
Aleksandar
A
Institute of Neurology, Medical School, Belgrade, Yugoslavia. kostic@imi.bg.ac.yu
Marinkovic
Jelena
J
Dragasevic
Natasa
N
Stanisavljevic
Dejana
D
Kostic
Vladimir
V
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018726:Anti-Dyskinesia Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D020820:Dyskinesias / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012008:Recurrence; D020521:Stroke / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D020531:Subthalamic Nucleus / Q000503:physiopathology; D015996:Survival Rate; D013995:Time; D015022:Yugoslavia / Q000453:epidemiology
D018726:Anti-Dyskinesia Agents