[Recurrent ischemic stroke. Study of 605 patients].

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

To characterize the clinical factors and prognosis and identify determinants of ischemic stroke recurrence in acute stroke.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Recurrent stroke patterns were studied in 605 consecutive patients admitted with a second or further ischemic stroke to the Department of Neurology of the Sagrat Cor Hospital of Barcelona over a 17 year period. Demographic, risk factors, clinical, neuroimaging and outcome variables were analyzed and compared with patients with first-ever cerebral infarction (n=2.099) to identify predictors of ischemic recurrent stroke. Significant variables were entered into a multivariate logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

Ischemic recurrent strokes accounted for 22.4% of all acute consecutive ischemic strokes. Frequency of ischemic stroke recurrence were significantly different among ischemic stroke subtypes: 26.2% in atherothrombotic, 24.4% in cardioembolic, 21.8% in lacunar stroke, 15.8% in infarcts of unusual etiology and 12% infarctions of uncertain etiology. The overall in-hospital mortality and symptom free at discharge in recurrent vs. non-recurrent stroke patients rate was 16.2 vs. 12% (p=0.005) and 17.8 vs. 27.3% (p=0.0001) respectively. Previous intracerebral hemorrhage (OR=3.07; 95% CI, 1.51-6.25), intermittent claudication (OR=1.39; 95% CI, 1.01-1.90), arterial hypertension (OR=1.32; 95% CI, 1.09-1.59), diabetes mellitus (OR=1.26; 95% CI, 1.02-1.56), age (OR=1.02; 95% CI, 1.01-1.03), female gender (OR=0.63; 95% CI, 0.52-0.77), headache (OR=0.62; 95% CI, 0.44-0.87) and bulbar topography (OR=0.21; 95% CI, 0.05-0.89) were independent clinical variables related to ischemic stroke recurrence.

CONCLUSIONS

About one in every four patients with ischemic stroke had an ischemic stroke recurrence. In-hospital mortality is 16.2% and clinical profiles were different in ischemic stroke recurrence when compared to first-ever ischemic stroke patients.