Stroke in Saudi children

This study reports the clinical features and neuroimaging correlates of stroke in Saudi children seen over a 5-year period at the King Fahd Hospital of the University, Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia. During the study period, 31 (18 boys, 13 girls; mean age, 26.2 months) of the 20,895 children seen had stroke; the annual stroke incidence was 29.7 per 100,000 in the pediatric population. Ischemic strokes accounted for 90% and hemorrhagic 10% of the cases, respectively. The boys-to-girls ratio for ischemic stroke was 2:1. Cranial computed tomographic scans and magnetic resonance imaging findings were abnormal in 82% and 91%, respectively. The etiologic factor was undetermined in 65% of the cases. Our results suggest that stroke is uncommon in Saudi children. However, further studies evaluating a larger population in different clinical settings are required to provide a more comprehensive picture of stroke in children in this area.