ASYMPTOMATIC CEREBRAL INFARCTIONS IN PATIENTS WITH ISCHEMIC STROKE

We studied 383 consecutive patients with stroke and ischemic lesions o n CT scan for the presence of symptomatic cerebral infarction (SCI) an d asymptomatic cerebral infarction (ACI). We evaluated risk factors as well as volume, site and number of the lesions. ACIs occurred in 34% of the cases (130/383); 88% of ACIs were lacunes and internal borderzo ne infarctions, with a volume of less than 2 ml. Larger infarctions we re asymptomatic in 27 patients (20.8%); 114(68.7%) out of 166 patients with two or more SCIs (68.7%) had one or more ACIs. Infarctions in th e lateral middle cerebral artery (MCA) territory were SCIs, in the med ial MCA territory ACIs. Independent risk factors for ACI were age abov e 70 years and smoking; cardioembolism prevailed in SCI, small vessel disease in ACI; high levels of disability prevailed in SCIs.