Non-atherosclerotic vasculopathies as the cause of cerebral infarction in young age

An analytical review of the literature on the problem of cerebral infarction in young people (18–45 years old) is presented. The relevance of the diagnosis and treatment of cerebral infarction in young people in Belarus, Ukraine and the Russian Federation has been shown. In accordance with the generally accepted concept of heterogeneity of cerebral infarction some rare causes of stroke in young adults have been considered. Cerebral infarction in this category of patients differs in terms of etiological polymorphism, has features of the course and prognosis. Non-atherosclerotic vasculopathies that include a large variety of diseases with various basic mechanisms such as immunological, infectious, connective tissue pathology have been examined in detail. Much attention has been paid to the cerebral arterial dissection, its causes and clinical features. Results of the international trials on the new approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of spontaneous dissection of cervico-cerebral arteries, vasculitis and fibromuscular dysplasia are given. Advanced brain neuroimaging techniques and quality improvements of non-invasive angiographic images have been introduced. This resulted in more accurate and well-timed diagnosis and differentiation of vasculopathy, which is of great importance for further management. All in all, pathogenetic characteristics of cerebral infarction in young patients require further clarification.