Cerebral infarction and activated protein C resistance

Ischemic stroke in pediatric patients is a rare event for which the contrib uting role of clotting disorders is debated. A severe ischemic stroke occur red in a four-year-old boy without any of the known risk factors (cardiac c ause of embolism, vasculitis, sickle cell disease, metabolic disease, and l upus anticoagulant). Resistance to activated protein C was found in the chi ld and his mother. The role of this inherited predisposition to thrombosis in the occurrence of the clinical event is discussed. This case confirms th e need for an exhaustive study of hemostasis in all pediatric patients with stroke.