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. 2011 Sep;159(3):479-83.
doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2011.02.004. Epub 2011 Mar 22.

Seizures as a presenting symptom of acute arterial ischemic stroke in childhood

Nicholas S Abend  1 , Lauren A Beslow, Sabrina E Smith, Sudha K Kessler, Arastoo Vossough, Stefanie Mason, Shannon Agner, Daniel J Licht, Rebecca N Ichord
Affiliations

Seizures as a presenting symptom of acute arterial ischemic stroke in childhood

Nicholas S Abend et al. J Pediatr. 2011 Sep.

Abstract

Objectives: To define the incidence of seizures as a presenting symptom of acute arterial ischemic stroke (AIS) in children and to determine whether younger age, infarct location, or AIS etiology were risk factors for seizure at AIS presentation.

Study design: Children aged 2 months to 18 years presenting with AIS between January 2005 and December 2008 were identified from a single center prospective pediatric stroke registry. Clinical data were abstracted, and a neuroradiologist reviewed imaging studies.

Results: Among the 60 children who met our inclusion criteria, 13 experienced seizure at stroke presentation (22%). Median age was significantly younger in children who presented with seizures than in those who did not (1.1 years vs 10 years; P = .0009). Seizures were accompanied by hemiparesis in all patients. Three of 4 children with clinically overt seizures at presentation also had nonconvulsive seizures on continuous electroencephalography monitoring.

Conclusions: Twenty-two percent of children with acute AIS present with seizures. Seizures were always accompanied by focal neurologic deficits. Younger age was a risk factor for seizures at presentation. Seizure at presentation was not associated with infarct location or etiology. Nonconvulsive seizures may occur during the acute period.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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