Background:Ischaemic stroke in children, a rare disease occurring in about 3 per 100 000 children per year, is related to various neurological complications, most commonly: motor and speech impairment and intellectual regression. Additionally, the incidence of post-stroke seizures and epilepsy in paediatric patients is quite high. Previous data demonstrated that the incidence of seizures during 24 hours after ischemic stroke may be almost 18 times higher in children than in adults. The aim of the present study was to analyse predictors of post-stroke seizures in Polish paediatric patients.

Methods:The study group comprised 78 paediatric patients suffering from ischemic stroke and recruited in the Department of Neuropediatrics in Katowice (Poland). Among them, three subgroups were separated:patients with early seizures (n=13;mean age:7.6±5.3), patients with late remote seizures (n=7;mean age:2.7±2.3), and seizure-free patients (n=58;mean age:8.9±5.4). Data were analysed using Statistica 9.0.

Results:The total anterior circulation infarct (TACI) subtype was the most common in patients with late seizures compared to seizure-free cases (71% vs 26%,p=0.014,OR=7.17). We also found higher prevalence of focal cerebral arteriopathy (FCA) among patients with late seizures than in patients without seizures (100% vs 51%,p=0.015). Patients with late remote seizures were younger than patients with no seizures. Analysing data with multivariate Cox analysis we found that age at time of stroke, FCA and number of infarct foci are predictors of post-stroke seizures (p=0.013,p=0.014,p<0.001,respectively).

Conclusions:Younger age, FCA as well as number of infarct foci are strong predictors of seizures occurring after childhood ischemic stroke in Polish patients.

Funded:3PO5E13523,KNW-1–062/P/1/0 and KNW-1–065/09.