Mineralizing Angiopathy with Basal Ganglia Stroke after Minor Trauma: Case Series Including Two Familial Cases

INTRODUCTION: Basal ganglia stroke following trauma has been known to occur and described in previous case studies. But exact etiology is unknown. AIM: To study the clinical characteristics, imaging features, and neurodevelopmental outcomes of children presented with basal ganglia stroke associated with mineralization in the lenticulostriate arteries in our center from January 2013 to June 2016. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Children with subcortical stroke during the study period were identified retrospectively, and those presented with basal ganglia stroke with mineralization of lenticulostriate vessels were analyzed for clinical profile, imaging features, and outcomes. Statistical analysis was carried out using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software, version 17 (IBM, New York). RESULTS: Of 38 children with basal ganglia stroke (20 boys, 18 girls, and mean age at presentation 14.026±5.8470 months), 27 had history of trauma preceding the stroke. Thirty-seven children presented with hemiparesis and one presented with hemidystonia. The mean follow-up time was 8 months, three children developed recurrence during that period. Five children with recurrence of stroke, initial episodes were not evaluated as they presented to us for the first time. A total of 17 of 30 infants who did not have stroke recurrence were normal on follow-up, whereas 9 infants showed persistent mild hemiparesis, 2 had motor delay, and 2 others had mild residual distal weakness. No identifiable causes were observed for vascular calcification. Two familial cases were also noted. CONCLUSION: Most common cause for acute basal ganglia stroke in toddlers was mineralizing angiopathy of lenticulostriate vessels. It was preceded by minor trauma in most cases.