Post-stroke evolution in children undergoing neuropediatric consultation at the Yalgado Ouedraogo University Hospital Center, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

Abstract

Context and objective. Pediatric stroke is under-diagnosed and is serious because of the impact it has on a developing brain. The study objective was to describe the evolutionary aspects of stroke in children. Methods. A cross-sectional study with retrospective data collection for descriptive purposes was conducted on medical records of children aged 29 days to 18 years followed up from June 1, 2016 to December 31, 2023 in neuropediatric consultation in the Neurology Department of the University Hospital Center Yalgado Ouedraogo in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Results. Twenty cases of stroke were collected, with a mean age of 6.35 years and a range of 18 months-17 years. The sex ratio H/F was 1.22. Clinical signs in the acute phase were hemiplegia in all patients, associated with speech impairment (30 %), coma (10 %) and convulsions (10%). Stroke was ischemic in 95 % of cases. Sickle-cell disease and cardiopathies were the most frequent etiologies. Progression was marked by persistent motor disability (75 %), epilepsy (35 %), aphasia (30 %) and recurrent ischemic stroke (15 %). Conclusion. Sickle-cell disease and cardiopathies are the main etiologies of stroke in children. The motor, cognitive and academic sequelae of these conditions are serious and require multidisciplinary management. Received: June 8th, 2024 Accepted: June 15th, 2025 https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/aamed.v18i4.8