Laterality does not influence early mortality in MCA ischemic stroke.
OBJECTIVE
There is clinical and experimental evidence involving the insula in the control of the autonomic system and cardiac function, with differential participation of right and left brain hemispheres, and these differences could influence mortality in the acute phase of brain hemisphere ischemic infarcts.


METHODS
We have analyzed retrospectively the mortality during initial hospitalization in a series of 504 consecutive, unselected patients with middle cerebral artery (MCA) ischemic infarcts to detect potential differences between right (220 patients) and left (284 patients) lesions.


RESULTS
Factors associated with a higher mortality were the infarct size, the occurrence of nosocomial respiratory infection, age and a history of diabetes mellitus or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.


CONCLUSIONS
The laterality of the infarct did not have a significant influence on stroke mortality during the admission period for the acute stage.
Mateo
Ignacio
I
Servicio de Neurologia, Hospital de Galdacano, 48960 Galdacano, Vizcaya, Spain.
Pinedo
Ana
A
Escalza
Ines
I
Garcia-Monco
Juan Carlos
JC
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D001342:Autonomic Nervous System Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D020244:Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate / Q000639:trends