Profile of Childhood Cerebrovascular Outpatient Clinic at Hospital in the South of Brazil

Introduction : Cerebrovascular disease in children has been increasingly diagnosed and studied, with advancements in technology and medical imaging. Its incidence ranges from 2 to 13 in 100,000 children and adolescents <18 years old and is 1 in 1,500-4,000 live births/year. Arterial ischemic stroke (AIS) is the most common childhood cerebrovascular disease. This issue has been extensively studied all over the world, especially during the last decade. Methods: Data from the Childhood Cerebrovascular Outpatient Clinic at a public hospital were retrospectively reviewed, from March/2002 until September/2013. Patients with age varying from 0 to 18 years (at the moment of the stroke) were included. Results: The sample is comprised of 133 cases of cerebrovascular disease, divided into three categories: 1) AIS, with 107 patients; 2) Hemorrhagic stroke, with 18 patients; 3) Sinovenous thrombosis, with 8 patients. Regarding age of the stroke, 36% occurred during neonatal period. In our sample, males were more affected than females (54.1%); as well as Caucasian children (86.4%). Six patients died due to cerebrovascular disease. Discussion/Conclusion: In our sample, AIS was the most prevalent situation, in a slightly high percentage when compared with literature, probably because this specific disease was the first to be analyzed in our Center. The other results are in concordance with previous international studies. Our data show the relevance of cerebrovascular disease in neonates, children, and adolescents. These acute neurological situations must have to be remembered and diagnosed in the pediatric population, especially in the neonatal period.