Role of a stroke data bank in evaluating cerebral infarction subtypes: Patterns and outcome of 1,776 consecutive patients from the Besancon Stroke Registry
T. Moulin et al., Role of a stroke data bank in evaluating cerebral infarction subtypes: Patterns and outcome of 1,776 consecutive patients from the Besancon Stroke Registry, CEREB DIS, 10(4), 2000, pp. 261-271
The purpose of this study was to estimate the frequency of various risk fac
tors, courses and outcome of infarct subtypes in a large hospital-based str
oke registry. Methods: From 1987 to 1994, 1,776 stroke patients with a firs
t-ever infarction were included in the Besancon Stroke Registry. All patien
ts were evaluated by a standard protocol (risk factors, stroke onset, strok
e courses, clinical characteristics, neuroimaging, Doppler ultrasonography
and cardiac investigations). Outcome was evaluated at 30 days using the Ran
kin scale. Results: There were 1,012 men (mean age 67.2 +/- 13.7 years) and
764 women (mean age 71.4 +/- 15.6 years). At least two neuroimaging examin
ations were performed in 81.4% (n = 1,446) of the patients and an infarct w
as visible in 80.9% (n = 1,436). The second neuroimaging examination (CT or
MRI) was performed after 8.2 +/- 1.6 days. 85.4% of patients were admitted
on the first day of the stroke: 28.3% within 3 h and 48.4% within 6 h. In
addition, stroke severity was well correlated with the short time interval
between stroke onset and admission. Past medical history of hypertension wa
s the major risk factor occurring in 57.5% of a II types of infarction. Whi
le diabetes was more frequently found in small deep infarct, atrial fibrill
ation and history of heart failure were found in anterior circulation infar
cts. The distribution of clinical presentations was conventional. Hemorrhag
ic transformation was found in 14.9% of the patients, especially in MCA and
PCA infarcts. In all patients, logistic regression analysis determined ind
ependent predictive factors for death: clinical deterioration at the 48th h
our (OR 7.5, 95% CI 4.9-11.3), initial loss of consciousness (OR 3.3, 95% C
I 2.1-4.9), age (OR 1.05, 95% CI 1.03-1.06), complete motor deficit (OR 2.6
, 95% CI 1.7-3.8), history of heart failure (OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.3-3.0), lacun
ar syndrome (OR 0.25, 95% CI 0.10-0.60) and regressive stroke onset (OR 0.2
4, 95% CI 0.10-0.52). However, the outcome was clearly correlated with the
infarct location. The in-hospital mortality rate was lowest in patients wit
h small deep infarct (2.9%) or border zone infarcts (3.4%) and the highest
in patients with total middle cerebral artery infarct (47.4%) or multiple i
nfarcts (27.6%). Conclusion: Our registry appears to be a useful tool to un
derstand the course and outcome of a large group of nonselected patients wi
th subtypes of infarction. It can also help to analyze the influence of spe
cific stroke management in the different categories of stroke types.
Copyright (C) 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel.