Stroke in children
Stroke in children is a rare, but terrifying disease and its lifelong sequelae weigh heavy on patients and families. It is also increasingly recognized as a socioeconomic burden, ongoing for many years after the acute manifestation. There is a significant delay in diagnosis of childhood stroke. This is caused by several factors: lack of awareness among the public and professionals, childhood-specific manifestations, numerous stroke mimics, and last but not least, limited access to emergency neuroimaging for children. Fast stroke recognition tools need adaption to the special needs in children. Childhood arterial ischaemic stroke differs in aetiology from adult stroke with cerebral vasculopathies being the leading cause and cardioembolic aetiology ranking second. However, treatment guidelines are largely based on adult guidelines and expert consensus. Future research has to put emphasis on understanding pathophysiology, defining specific treatment options, and providing evidence for treatment guidelines in paediatric stroke.