INHERITED ABNORMALITIES OF BLOOD-COAGULATION IN JUVENILE STROKE - A CASE-CONTROL STUDY

The nature of the relationship between inherited abnormalities of the clotting system and the occurrence of cerebrovascular accidents in you ng subjects is controversial. To evaluate the risk of cerebrovascular disease associated with such abnormalities, we analyzed a series of 23 consecutive patients in a case-control study with ischemic stroke pro ven by computerised tomography and aged below 45 years at admission, a nd a control group of 115 age- and sex-matched controls from the gener al population. No differences in antithrombin, protein C, protein S, h eparin cofactor II, plasminogen or response to activated protein C wer e observed between cases and controls. None of the patients had a hist ory of personal or familial thrombosis, and none had a reduction in th e considered clotting factor below the reference range. We conclude th at abnormalities of the clotting system are not associated with the oc currence of cerebrovascular abnormalities in the young and that routin e screening for inherited thrombophilia is not appropriate in young pa tients with cerebrovascular disease.