Clinico-radiological profile of stroke in eastern Nepal: a computed tomographic study.
OBJECTIVE
Stroke is a frequent cause of death and disability in elderly patients. This study was carried out to establish the pattern of various types of cerebrovascular accident (CVA) in eastern Nepal and to correlate the clinical data and radiological findings in cases of stroke.


METHODS
All the patients clinically diagnosed as stroke and referred to the radiology department for Computed tomography (CT) of the brain over a period of 1 year were included.


RESULTS
There were 150 patients with stroke (104 males and 46 females), aged 7 to 91 years in which infarction (58%) was more common than haemorrhage (42%) in both group of age (< or = 40 years and > 40 years). Smoking was the commonest risk factor noted in 40.66% cases followed by hypertension (40%). Excessive meat consumption (more than 4 times a week) was seen in 69.1% cases. In early Middle Cerebral Artery (MCA) territory infarction presenting within six hours of onset, positive CT findings were seen in 40% cases among which, obscuration of the lentiform nuclei was diagnostic.


CONCLUSIONS
In this part of Nepal, infarction is more common than haemorrhage as the cause of stroke and in contrary to western population; hemorrhagic stroke constitutes a significantly higher proportion of stroke. Smoking is the commonest risk factor followed by hypertension and it is also seen in combination with alcohol in many cases. Excessive meat consumption could be an additional risk factor for stroke in this part of Nepal. In younger age group (< or = 40 years), haemorrhage is more common than infarction and alcohol consumption is the commonest risk factor.
Naik
M
M
Department of Radiodiagnosis and Medical Imaging, BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal.
Rauniyar
R K
RK
Sharma
U K
UK
Dwivedi
S
S
Karki
D B
DB
Samuel
J R
JR
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009390:Nepal / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D020521:Stroke / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D055815:Young Adult