Ischemic stroke subtypes and thrombophilia in young and elderly Brazilian stroke patients admitted to a rehabilitation hospital.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE We sought to examine ischemic stroke subtypes and prevalence of thrombophilia in Brazilian stroke patients. METHOD A total of 130 consecutive young and 200 elderly stroke patients were studied. RESULTS Prevalence of thrombophilia was, respectively: protein S deficiency (11.5% versus 5.5%), protein C deficiency (0.76% versus 1%), resistance to activated protein C (2.3% versus 3.5%), mutation in V Leiden factor (1.5% versus 2%), antithrombin III deficiency (0% versus 0%), lupus anticoagulant (0% versus 0.5%), anticardiolipin antibodies (3% versus 10%; P=0.01), hyperhomocysteinemia (31.5% versus 53.5%; P=0.0001), mutation of the MTHFR gene in homocigosis (10% versus 5%), and heterocigosis (27.6% versus 41.9%; P=0.01). CONCLUSIONS Prothrombotic conditions were more frequent in stroke of undetermined cause.