Computer tomography pattern of stroke among patients received at the Medical Imaging Center of the Limbe Regional Hospital, South-west Region, Cameroon

Abstract

Background: Stroke is a significant public health concern globally and a leading cause of neurological morbidity. The aim of our study was to determine the characteristics of strokes diagnosed by CT scan at the Medical Imaging Center of the Limbe Regional Hospital in Cameroon.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective, cross-sectional study of patients with a clinical diagnosis of stroke who underwent brain CT imaging at the Limbe Regional Hospital between January 2020 and April 2022. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25.0.

Results: A total of 496 patient records were included. The mean age of patients was 61.9 years (±0.61), with the highest prevalence in the 61-70 age group. Ischemic stroke was the most common type (65.3%, n=324), while hemorrhagic stroke accounted for 26.6% (n=132) of cases, with a higher proportion occurring in patients aged 41-50 years. Ischemic strokes were slightly more frequent in females. Among ischemic strokes, 56.5% (n=183) occurred in the middle cerebral artery (MCA) territory, and 22.5% (n=73) in the anterior cerebral artery (ACA) territory. Hemorrhages were most frequently located in the thalamic region (28.5%), followed by the parietal lobe (16.9%) and temporal lobe (16.2%).

Conclusions: Ischemic stroke is the predominant type of stroke observed in the imaging department, with a slightly higher incidence in females, while hemorrhagic stroke was more prevalent in males. The MCA territory is the most common location for ischemic infarctions, and the thalamic region is the most frequent site for hematomas.