Before being hospitalized, the boy had taken part in physical activity and showed no signs of injury or head trauma. Soon afterward, however, he began experiencing sudden neurological symptoms, including intense headaches, persistent vomiting, difficulty walking, and progressive weakness affecting the left side of his body.

Doctors immediately convened a multidisciplinary consultation, ordered cerebral angiography and carried out emergency endovascular intervention. The medical team performed targeted clot-dissolving therapy combined with mechanical thrombectomy, fully restoring blood flow to the brain.

After one week of treatment, the child was alert and responsive, with motor function almost completely recovered. Doctors said no lasting neurological deficits were detected.

Specialists noted that strokes in children are rare and often missed because symptoms can be subtle or atypical and blood vessels are much smaller than in adults. Early recognition and rapid transfer to a hospital capable of advanced endovascular procedures are decisive in determining survival and long-term outcomes.

Unlike adult strokes, which are commonly caused by atherosclerosis, strokes in children are usually linked to underlying conditions that promote blood clot formation. These include slowed blood flow, abnormal clotting tendencies, and damage to blood vessel walls caused by inflammation or trauma. In this case, doctors said the exact trigger for the clot remains unclear.

Physicians now favor endovascular intervention over systemic clot-dissolving drugs typically used in adults. Without timely treatment, usually within the first 4.5 to 6 hours and in some cases up to 24 hours, children face a risk of death or severe complications such as paralysis, epilepsy, or cognitive impairment that can reach 50%. The risk of recurrence is estimated at 15 to 20%, making long-term monitoring essential.

Doctors urged parents to watch closely for sudden warning signs of stroke in children, including loss of balance, vision problems, facial asymmetry, weakness or paralysis of the limbs, and slurred or unclear speech, and to seek emergency care immediately if these symptoms appear.

Although physical activity was not identified as the direct cause of the stroke in this case, doctors cautioned that children should exercise at appropriate intensity levels, particularly in hot weather. Strenuous activity should be balanced with rest to avoid exhaustion or heat-related illness.

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License number: 71/GP-CBC, Ministry of Information andCommunications, September 22, 2021

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