Cerebrovascular accidents and the role of factor V mutation in children

Abstract

Cerebrovascular accidents constitute a far smaller proportion of the neurologic diseases of childhood than of adulthood. We studied protein C, protein S, antithrombin III, resistance to activated protein C and Factor V Leiden in patients with cerebrovascular accident of unknown etiology. Over a 5-year period 13 children aged 13 months to 12 years treated for ischemic stroke were enrolled in the study. The diagnosis was based on clinical neurologic deficits, computed tomography scan, magnetic resonance imaging and angiography in some cases. Moyamoya disease was determined in one patient and protein C level was low in three patients and all the patients with low protein C level were male. Protein C resistance was found in one patient and his factor V 1691 G→A was negative. Two patients were heterozygous for Factor V 1691 G→A.