Silent brain infarction in stroke patients: a pilot double-center study

ABSTRACT

Silent Brain Infarcts [SBI] are associated with an increased risk of subsequent stroke. SBI are incidentally revealed by CT or MRI executed in stroke patients.A prospective study was undertaken involving 200 consecutive patients aged >45 years with brain infarct admitted in University of Alberta Hospital, Canada [100 patients] and Valie-Asr Hospital, Iran [100 patients] in 2003. Patients were divided in age groups aged <65 and >65. All of the patients underwent brain CT. A stroke neurologist with knowledge of stroke history subsequently reviewed the scans and diagnosed SBI. The relations of race, gender and age groups with SBI were analyzed with chi-square and Fisher exact tests.SBI were present in 26.9% of patients aged <65 and 48.6% of patients aged >65. Canadian patients were significantly more preponderant to SBI in age group> 65 [p= 0.013]. The mean age of Canadian patients was significantly higher than Persians [p<0.001]. Within a total of 200 patients the female gender was significantly more preponderant to SBI [p= 0.02] which was not related to age and race groups. Small vessel territory infarct was present in 87% of our patients with SBI.SBI are common in stroke patients. The frequency of SBI is higher in female gender and the elderly