Vascular causes of stroke in children

Abstract

Childhood stroke is being increasingly recognized and is an important cause of long-term disability and morbidity. This review focuses on the vascular causes of ischemic stroke, which are common in children and may form up to two thirds to three quarters of all ischemic strokes. Vascular causes often result in recurrence and hence are important from the point of view of prognosis. Cervicocephalic dissection is an important cause especially in boys and results from extravasation of blood into the layers of the blood vessel. Moyamoya syndrome is well recognized in all parts of the world and is diagnosed by the characteristic radiographic picture. Migraine associated stroke, radiation vasculopathy and fibromuscular dysplasia will also be discussed. Stroke in children occurs after varicella zoster infection due to focal narrowing of vessels causing a focal vasculopathy. Transient cerebral vasculopathy appears radiographically similar but may have other etiologies.

Keywords

Childhood stroke - vasculopathy - moyamoya - cervicocephalic dissection - transient cerebral arteriopathy - varicella zoster vasculopathy - radiation vasculopathy