title: Acute isolated capsular stroke. A clinical study of 148 cases.
abstract: The objectives of the study were to assess differential features between capsular stroke of ischemic and hemorrhagic origin, and to compare capsular strokes with all other (non-capsular) strokes. Data of 148 patients with isolated capsular stroke were collected from a prospective hospital-based stroke registry in which 2000 consecutive acute stroke patients were included. Isolated capsular stroke accounted for 8.4% of strokes included in the registry (8.4% of ischemic strokes and 10.5% of intracerebral hemorrhages). Capsular stroke of hemorrhagic origin (n = 24) was more severe than ischemic capsular stroke (n = 124) as determined by a significantly higher in-hospital mortality, length of stay, and lower number of patients free of functional deficit at discharge. After multivariate analysis, limb weakness, sudden onset, and sensory symptoms were independently associated with capsular hemorrhage, whereas pure motor hemiparesis appeared to be associated with capsular infarction. In summary, one of each 12 patients with acute ischemic stroke and one of each 10 patients with acute intracerebral hemorrhage had an isolated capsular stroke. Lacunar syndrome was the most frequent clinical presentation being more common (particularly pure motor hemiparesis) in ischemic than in hemorrhagic capsular stroke. Capsular hemorrhage and capsular infarction showed identical risk factor profiles suggesting the same underlying vascular pathology for both conditions.
authors.affiliation: Acute Stroke Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital del Sagrat Cor, Viladomat 288, E-08029 Barcelona, Spain. aarboixd@meditex.es
authors.forename: Adrià
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arboix
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martínez-Rebollar
authors.forename: Montserrat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oliveres
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: García-Eroles
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Massons
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Targa
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000150:complications*; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D020772:Internal Capsule; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012042:Registries; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality