title: Posterior circulation ischemic stroke-clinical characteristics, risk factors, and subtypes in a north Indian population: a prospective study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Posterior circulation stroke accounts for approximately 20% of all strokes with varied clinical presentation, which differ from strokes in anterior circulation, with reference to etiology, clinical features, and prognosis. Short penetrating and circumferential branches in the posterior circulation supply the brain stem, thalamus, cerebellum, occipital, and medial temporal lobes.
  
  
  METHODS
  We prospectively analyzed 80 participants of posterior circulation ischemic stroke from a registry of 944 participants attending a tertiary care referral university hospital. Patients were analyzed for demographics, stroke risk factors, clinical characteristics, neuroimaging, and stroke subtypes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Posterior circulation ischemic stroke accounted for 80 (8.5%) of 944 of all strokes and 80 (10.45%) of 765 of ischemic stroke. Sixty-three were males with mean age 51.7 ± 14.4 years. Twenty-one participants were young (defined as age less than 45 years). Hypertension was found to be the most common risk factor (63.75%). Vertigo was the most common clinical symptom reported in 45 (56.25%) cases. Sixty-eight (85%) patients had large artery disease, 8 (10%) had documented cardioembolic source, 3 (3.75%) small artery disease, and 2 (2.5%) vasculitis. Posterior cerebral artery was most commonly involved. Topographically distal intracranial involvement was most frequent (66.25%) followed by proximal (30%) and middle intracranial territory (3.75%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study demonatrated the occurrence of posterior circulation stroke in relatively younger age group compared to the Western world. We also found higher percentage of large artery disease, while cardioembolism as a less frequent cause of posterior circulation ischemic stroke in North Indian population. Distal territory involvement was most common in our study.
authors: Department of Neurology, G.B. Pant Hospital, J.L.N. Marg, New Delhi, India.
authors: Manmohan
authors: M
authors: Mehndiratta
authors: Sanjay
authors: S
authors: Pandey
authors: Rajeev
authors: R
authors: Nayak
authors: Anwar
authors: A
authors: Alam
keywords: posterior circulation stroke; risk factors; stroke subtypes
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