An ischemic stroke—the most common form of stroke in children under age 15—is caused by a blocked or narrowed artery. In children, blockages may be caused by a blood clot, injury to the artery, or rarely in children, atherosclerosis (build-up of fatty deposits on the blood vessel walls). A cerebral thrombosis is a blood clot that develops at the clogged part of the blood vessel. A cerebral embolism is a blood clot that travels to the clogged blood vessel from another location in the circulatory system.
A hemorrhagic stroke—the more common form of stroke in infants and children under age two—occurs when a weakened blood vessel leaks or bursts, causing bleeding in the brain tissue or near the surface of the brain.
Two types of weakened blood vessels usually cause hemorrhagic stroke, including:
- aneurysm: ballooning of a weakened area of a blood vessel
- arteriovenous malformations: cluster of abnormal blood vessels
A transient ischemic attack (TIA), also called a "mini stroke," is characterized by a short-term blood vessel obstruction or clot that tends to resolve itself quickly, usually within 10–20 minutes, or up to 24 hours. A TIA usually does not require intervention. However, a TIA is a strong indicator of an ischemic stroke and should be evaluated in the same way as a stroke to prevent a more serious attack.
In children, strokes can be categorized as:
- prenatal stroke: occurring before birth
- neonatal or perinatal stroke: occurring in infants less than 30 days old
- pediatric or childhood stroke: occurring in children aged 15 and under
No comments:
Post a Comment