Lacunar stroke syndromes as predictors of lacunar and non-lacunar infarcts on neuroimaging: a hospital-based study

Lacunar syndromes are usually caused by small ischemic lesions called lacunar infarcts. However, non-lacunar infarcts account for about 20% of lacunar syndromes. The aim of this study was to identify clinical predictors of lacunar syndromes led by non-lacunar infarcts. The following single centre, observational study was conducted on an analysis of the "Perugia hospital-based Stroke Registry" database enrolling consecutive patients admitted with ischemic stroke during the period 2010-2017. We evaluated patient risk factors and clinical features linked to stroke syndrome (lacunar/non-lacunar) and to cerebral infarction (lacunar/non-lacunar). Lacunar syndromes were diagnosed in 478 (26.6%) out of 1796 patients. In 104 (21.1%) patients, lacunar syndromes were caused by non-lacunar infarcts. Lacunar syndromes with lacunar infarcts were primarily linked to diabetes (27.8% vs 16.3%) and obesity (7.7% vs 0.9%), while lacunar syndromes with non-lacunar infarcts were linked to a higher risk of ...