FACTOR-V-LEIDEN AND PROTHROMBIN GENE G-20210 A-VARIANT IN CHILDREN WITH ISCHEMIC STROKE

Objective: To investigate if the factor V Leiden mutation (F-V-LEVI) a nd/or the prothrombin gene G 20210 A variant (P-G20210A-V) are risk fa ctors for acute stroke in Austrian children. Patients: 33 children wit h acute ischemic stroke documented by computer tomography and/or magne tic resonance imaging of the brain were enrolled in an open multicente r survey. Results: 6/33 children had F-V-LM (5 heterozygous, 1 homozyg ous). This represents 18% (95% CI: 6.7-39.9%) of our pediatric stroke population and thus exceeds the expected prevalence in the Austrian po pulation of 4,6% (Fischer's exact test, p = 0.01). F-V-LM was not foun d in 11 children with neonatal stroke but in 6/22 children with stroke after the neonatal period. 5/6 children with F-V-LM had an underlying disorder that is a risk factor for stroke in children. The P-G20210A- V was detected in 1/26 (3.85%; 95% CI: 0.1-21.4%) patients. Comparison of the prevalence of P-G20210A-V in our study with that in the genera l population of Austria of 1% revealed no statistical significance (Fi scher's exact test, p = 0.38). Conclusion: Our data suggest that the F -V-LM is a risk factor for acute stroke in Austrian children beyond th e neonatal period. The P-G20210A-V apparently does not represent a ris k factor for stroke in Austrian children.