Abstract
Stroke may be an underestimated disease in children and adolescents. Several studies
report an annual incidence as high as for brain tumors: 2–13 children for arterial
ischemic, 1–5 for hemorrhagic stroke and 0.67/100,000 children for cerebral venous
thrombosis. Recurrence of stroke ranges from 10–20% and depends on the underlying
risk factors. Genetic predisposition underlying diseases and risk factors can often
not be separated very precisely. The most prominent risk factors are vasculapathies
and congenital heart disease, sickle cell anemia, coagulopathies, metabolic disorders
and infections. Disorders in lipometabolism and genetic predisposition are now known
to play also a role in the pathogenesis of pediatric stroke. A distinct stroke etiology
can be determined only in a minority of children. However, most of them (> 80%) have
more than one risk factor. The purpose of this review is to describe the epidemiology,
risk factors, and etiologies of pediatric stroke in order to give rationales for understanding
clinical symptoms and treatment decisions.
Keywords
Stroke - epidemiology - etiology - pediatric
