Cerebral vascular pathology in patients seen in level IV Hospital in Caracas

Abstract

Objective: To determine the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of pediatric strokes evaluated at the “Miguel Pérez Carreño” Hospital, in Caracas, in the period 2023-2024. Methods: retrospective, non-experimental, analytical and observational study, in the pediatric neurology service of a level IV hospital. The study population included all patients between 1 and 18 years of age admitted to the service, meeting the proposed inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results: In the selected sample (ten patients), the average age was 9.3 years, 6 were female (60%); facial paralysis and seizures were the main clinical manifestations. Among the neuroimaging studies, brain magnetic resonance imaging was the most evaluated. Most patients presented unknown etiology and did not receive immediate medical treatment for the event, which was associated with a delay in confirming the diagnosis. Likewise, the basal nuclei represented the most affected central nervous system (CNS) structure. Half of the patients developed some type of mild post-stroke disability. Conclusions: Cerebral vascular pathology is a not so infrequent entity in pediatric patients, with different forms of presentation and associated causes.