Magnetic resonance imaging characteristics of ischemic stroke in an Afro-Caribbean population: A 1-year prospective MRI study on 534 consecutive patients.
OBJECTIVE
Few population-based MRI studies on stroke, particularly in African-descent populations, are available. Based on a 1-year Afro-Caribbean population-based study MRI, ischemic stroke characteristics were extensively analyzed.


METHODS
All strokes occurring in Martinique (390,371 inhabitants) were prospectively included. Ascertainment was based, whenever possible, on MRI. All patients were categorized as single- (subclassified as cortical, cortical-subcortical, subcortical, lacunar) or multiple-lesion pattern, and vascular (single, multiple or junctional) territory. Brain parenchyma was evaluated, based on visualization of macrobleeds, microbleeds, white-matter hyperintensities or stroke sequelae. Etiology was classified according to TOAST criteria.


RESULTS
Among 596 ischemic stroke patients included, 534 (295 men, 239 women; mean age, 71 [range 23-110] years) underwent MRI (median delay 1 day). Four hundred and eighty-eight had single-type lesion (14.8% cortical, 42.4% cortical-subcortical, 14.5% subcortical, 16.6% lacunar), involving anterior cerebral (4%), middle cerebral (63.7%), posterior cerebral artery (10.4%) or basilar trunk (11.7%) territories, with 10.3% simultaneously involving multiple territories and 4.9% junctional infarction. Etiologies were LAA (11.2%), SVD (10.7%), CE (29.6%), rare (4.5%) or undetermined (44.1%).


CONCLUSIONS
Our prospective, consecutive, ischemic stroke series gives a comprehensive description of ischemic stroke imaging patterns and etiologic distributions in an Afro-Caribbean population with high socio-economic status. Our patients' stroke characteristics are close to those of European-descent populations.
Department of neuroradiology, Pierre-Zobda-Quitman hospital, university hospital of Martinique, route de La Meynard, 97261 Fort-de-France, Martinique. Electronic address: mehdi.mejdoubi@chu-fortdefrance.fr.
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Mejdoubi
Department of neurology, Pierre-Zobda-Quitman hospital, university hospital of Martinique, 97261 Fort-de-France, Martinique.
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Signate
Department of neuroradiology, Pierre-Zobda-Quitman hospital, university hospital of Martinique, route de La Meynard, 97261 Fort-de-France, Martinique.
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Colombani
Department of neuroradiology, Pierre-Zobda-Quitman hospital, university hospital of Martinique, route de La Meynard, 97261 Fort-de-France, Martinique.
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Arrigo
Department of neurology, Pierre-Zobda-Quitman hospital, university hospital of Martinique, 97261 Fort-de-France, Martinique.
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Olindo
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D017691:Caribbean Region / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult
Afro-Caribbean; Brain; Ischemic stroke; MRI; Vascular territory