INCIDENCE OF STROKE IN YOUNG-ADULTS IN THE REGGIO-EMILIA AREA, NORTHERN ITALY

A retrospective epidemiological study on the first episode of stroke i n young adults aged 1 5-44 years was carried out in the territory of t he Local Health Unit No. 9 in Reggio Emilia (46,491 km2), Italy, from 1987 to 1989. 29 patients were identified: 17 were affected with cereb ral infarction and 12 with hemorrhage. All young patients were dischar ged with diagnostic codes 430-438 according to the International Class ification of Disease, i.e. the criteria of the World Health Organisati on for stroke definition. All patients had computed tomography or necr opsy. The average annual incidence rate per 100,000 population aged 15 -44 for all strokes was 13.6 and the 95% confidence interval (CI 95%) was 9.1-19.6. The general population of the same age on January 1, 198 7, was 69,845 and 71,920 on December 31, 1989, the incidence rate of s troke was 14.0 for males (CI 95% 7.9-23.3) and 13.2 (CI 95% 7.1-22.2) for females. The average annual incidence rates were 8.0 (CI 95% 4.7-1 2.2) for cerebral infarction (8.4, CI 95% 3.9-16 for males, 7.6, CI 95 % 3.3-14.9 for females), 5.6 (CI 95% 2.9-9.9) for cerebral hemorrhage and 2.8 (CI 95% 1.0-6. 1) for both subarachnoid (SAH) and intracerebra l hemorrhage (ICH). Based on angiography or necropsy findings, aneurys ms or arteriovenous malformations were present in 83% of the patients with SAH and in 66% of the patients with ICH. The 1-month fatality rat io was 0 for cerebral infarction, 50% for SAH and 33% for ICH. The ave rage annual mortality rate for all strokes (cases/100,000/year, age 15 -44) was 2.3, and 1.4 for SAH and 0.9 for ICH.