Baseline Factors Affecting the Prognosis of Ischemic Cerebellar Stroke Patients in Turkey: A Cross‑Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Cerebellar infarcts are encountered commonly in clinical practice; however, they are likely to be misinterpreted. They  cannot be adequately evaluated on scales such as the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), which can have fatal  consequences. 

Aim: To evaluate the baseline features, prognosis, and 6-month survival in patients with cerebellar stroke. 

Methods: A  total of 200 patients with cerebellar ischemia were included in the study. Patients were analyzed retrospectively from 10 years of data.  Both univariate and multivariate analyses were evaluated. 

Results: Mean age was 68 years old, and men were more frequently affected.  The most common symptoms were dysarthria and vertiginous sensations. Ischemic lesions were usually cortical/juxtacortical, multiple,  hemispheric, and small (below 1.5 cm). The most commonly affected artery was the medial branch of the posterior inferior cerebellar artery. Cardioembolism was the more frequent etiology. Gait ataxia was associated with a more favorable prognosis and 6‑month  modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores (OR: 0.15, 95% CI, P = 0.03). Older age (OR: 1.75, 95%, P = 0.02), female gender (OR: 6.72, 95%, P =  0.02), multiple (OR: 10.92, 95%, P = 0.01) and large lesions (OR: 6.56, 95% CI, P = 0.01), posterior circulation ischemic lesions extra- cerebellum (OR: 8.33, 95% CI, P = 0.01), left ventricular apical hypokinesia or AF (OR: 5.58, 95% CI, P = 0.02), and a high mRS score on  admission (OR: 5.21, 95% CI, P < 0.001) was correlated with higher 6-month mRS and a lower survival rates. 

Conclusion: The study found  that some baseline clinical, neurovascular imaging findings, and the mRS score on admission are useful predictors of cerebellar stroke  prognosis and outcome.