Ischemic strokes in children.

Ischemic stroke is an uncommon, but significant cause of disability in childhood. Children with strokes present with predictable deficits as adults do; however, fever and seizures at stroke onset are more common in children than in adults. Strokes in children have diverse etiologies and require extensive evaluation. Etiology remains obscure in up to half of the patients. Prognosis in childhood stroke is not benign and up to 50% of pediatric stroke patients have chronic sequelae. Emerging therapies may alter prognosis in certain populations of children at risk for stroke, but more research is necessary.