Cerebrovascular disease in Uganda

Abstract

Cerebrovascular disease in Uganda is probably as common as in developed countries. However, the aetiology is very different. Predisposing factors such as hypertension and systemic embolization from an intracardiac source are common, whereas atherosclerotic vascular disease is not. The relative frequency of these factors and the incidence of the various types of cerebrovascular accident differ in the present autopsy series from two previously published clinical series from Africa. The reasons for this are discussed. Luetic vascular disease, a common aetiological factor in earlier series, is now rare.