The causes of ischemic stroke in patients under 45 years of age.

: From November 1982 to June 1991, a total of 81 cases of ischemic stroke in persons under 45 years of age were analyzed retrospectively. There were 44 males and 37 females, aged from 2 to 45 years (average 34.6 years). The modes of onset were immediately completed in 55 cases, progressed over a period of 1 hour to 5 days in 23 cases, and fluctuated over a period of 1 to 2 days in 3 cases. Fifty-six cases had one stroke episode; the others had transient ischemic attack or/and several episodes of cerebral infarction. Sixty-five cases had symptoms arising from the region of the carotid artery, more than 3.4 times those arising from the basilar artery territory. Probable causes of stroke were atherosclerosis (54.3%), embolism (28.5%), arteropathy (8.6%), hematological disease and coagulopathy (3.7%) and undetermined (4.9%).