Affiliations: Department of Neurology, Comprehensive Stroke Program,
Wayne State University, School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA | Carman and Ann Adams Department of Pediatrics, Wayne
State University, School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
Note: [] Correspondence: Kumar Rajamani, MD, University Health Center,
4201 St Antoine, 8C UHC, Detroit, MI 48201, USA. Tel.: +1 313 7451540; Fax: +1
313 5774641; E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: Childhood stroke is being increasingly recognized and is an
important cause of long-term disability and morbidity. This review focuses on
the vascular causes of ischemic stroke, which are common in children and may
form up to two thirds to three quarters of all ischemic strokes. Vascular
causes often result in recurrence and hence are important from the point of
view of prognosis. Cervicocephalic dissection is an important cause especially
in boys and results from extravasation of blood into the layers of the blood
vessel. Moyamoya syndrome is well recognized in all parts of the world and is
diagnosed by the characteristic radiographic picture. Migraine associated
stroke, radiation vasculopathy and fibromuscular dysplasia will also be
discussed. Stroke in children occurs after varicella zoster infection due to
focal narrowing of vessels causing a focal vasculopathy. Transient cerebral
vasculopathy appears radiographically similar but may have other etiologies.
