چكيده لاتين :
Background: Leukoaraiosis (LA) or white matter thinning
and rarefaction are common in stroke patients. This pilot double-
center study was designed to evaluate LA risk factors in
stroke patients.
Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted on 100
consecutive stroke patients in Walter Mackenzie Hospital,
Canada and 100 consecutive stroke patients in Val ie-Asr
Hospital, Iran in 2004. Diagnosis of ischemic stroke and LA
was performed by stroke neurologists using CT scan. The effects
of race, gender, age groups, hypertension, diabetes, hypercholestrolemia
and smoking on frequency rate of LA were
evaluated.
Results: The frequency rate of LA was the same in stroke
patients living in North America or Iran. But, the frequency of
LA in female stroke patients was more frequent than males
(p(LESS THAN)0.005). LA was significantly predominant in stroke patients
with age2:65-yrs than those with age(LESS THAN)65-yrs (p(LESS THAN)0.05).
The frequency of LA was significant in hypertensive patients.
However, the frequency rate of LA was not influenced by diabetes,
hypercholestrolemia and smoking.
Conclusion: Female gender, age and hypertension seem to be
the main risk factors of leukoaraiosis. In addition, there was no
difference between the frequency rates of LA in patients living
in Iran or North America.
