[Stroke in children: a medical emergency]

Abstract

Stroke in children is an important public health problem because, even if it is 10 folds less frequent than in adults, it may have severe consequences, related to the lack of dedicated stroke network in childhood. Therefore, it is important to know the initial clinical symptoms of stroke in children as well as the lack of aphasia opposed to the great frequency of epilepsy, and dystonia. The causes are different compared to the great frequency of cerebral hemorrhage from vascular malformations, cerebral infarct from genetic, cardiac or thrombophilic origin. Prognosis is more favourable compared to that of adults. The management of stroke in childhood must be included in the stroke network of adults, associating the paediatricians. Fibrinolysis is possible in children with a similar efficacy compared to that of adults.