Caspian Journal of Pediatrics

en Evaluation of Cardiac Findings in Pediatric Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Brief Report and Review of Current Literature عمومى General پژوهشي Research <div style="text-align: justify;">Background and Objective: A stroke is defined as an impairment of cerebral blood flow that results in neurologic symptoms and has ischemic and hemorrhagic forms. The ischemic type is more common in children. Congenital and acquired heart diseases are common causes of ischemic stroke in children. The aim of the present study was to describe the cardiac findings in pediatric patients younger than 14 years who were admitted with acute ischemic stroke. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate the cardiac findings in 21 patients under 14 years of age admitted with acute ischemic stroke to Golestan General Hospital, Ahvaz, Iran, over a 5-year period between 2013 to and 2018. All patients underwent a thorough cardiac examination that included electrocardiography as well as echocardiography and, if necessary, contrast echocardiography. Patients also underwent MRI of the brain and hematologic laboratory tests. Descriptive data were analyzed using SPSS 23. Findings: Out of 21 patients, 5 (23.8%) had abnormal echocardiography, whereas 16 (76.2%) patients had normal echocardiography. The patients with normal echocardiography underwent contrast echocardiography, which was positive for patent foramen ovale in only one patient. Of the total of 5 patients with abnormal echocardiography, 2 patients had congenital heart disease, 2 patients had dilated cardiomyopathy, and one patient had left atrial myxoma. Conclusion: In any pediatric patient with acute stroke, cardiac causes should be considered as the main risk factor, and a thorough cardiologic examination would be necessary.</div> Cardiac Disease, Children, Ischemic Stroke 9 9 http://caspianjp.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-88-2&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Mohammad Reza Khalilian khalilian-m@sbmu.ac.ir 10031947532846004665 10031947532846004665 Yes Assistant Professor of Pediatric Cardiology; Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Ramin Azizi Malmiri azizi-ramin@gmail.com 10031947532846004666 10031947532846004666 No Department of Pediatric Neurology, Golestan Medical Educational and Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapour University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran Tahmineh Tahouri tahmineh.tahouri@hotmail.com 10031947532846004667 10031947532846004667 No Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Mohammad Ghazavi mo_ghazavi@yahoo.com 10031947532846004668 10031947532846004668 No Department of Pediatrics, Kashan University of Medical Sciences and Health Services, Kashan, Iran