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Antiphospholipid antibodies and cerebral artery dissection: Two frequent causes of brain ischemia in young adults

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Abstract

As part of a multicenter study on ischemic stroke in the young, we report the occurrence of high antiphospholipid antibody (aPLs) levels and cerebral dissection in 75 patients. These represent the two most frequent non-thromboembolic causes of cerebral ischemia in our population. Increased aPL titres were found in nine cases (12%); cerebral artery dissection in eleven (14%).

Our data stress the need to modify the classical diagnostic approach to cerebral ischemia by including hematological assessments and new neuroimaging techniques as screening tests.

Sommario

Gli Autori riportano l'incidenza di anticorpi antifosfolipidi e dissezioni arteriose in 75 pazienti reclutati in uno studio multicentrico sull'ischemia cerebrale focale del giovane adulto.

Gli anticorpi antifosfolipidi erano presenti in 9 pazienti (12%) mentre dissezioni arteriose sono state evidenziate in 11 casi (14%). Gli A. ribadiscono la necessità di un accurato studio dei parametri emocoagulativi ed immunologici oltre l'utilizzo di nuove tecniche di neuroimmagine nella ricerca delle cause di eventi ischmeici nei giovani.

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Supported by National Research Council grant 93051602086

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Girmenia, F., Argentino, C., Di Scipio, E. et al. Antiphospholipid antibodies and cerebral artery dissection: Two frequent causes of brain ischemia in young adults. Ital J Neuro Sci 15, 221–227 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02342452

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02342452

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