The Need to Look for Visual Deficit After Stroke in Children.

To evaluate the role of the ophthalmologist in the management of children with arterial stroke, at presentation and during follow-up. This retrospective case series comprised children with arterial stroke who were followed for at least 12 months in a tertiary pediatric medical center in 2005-2016. Demographic data and findings on radiological neuroimaging and ophthalmological and neurological examination were retrieved from the medical files. The cohort included 26 children with stroke. Underlying disorders included metabolic syndrome ( = 5, 19.2%), cardiac anomaly or Fontan repair ( = 3 each, 11.5%), vascular anomaly ( = 3, 11.5%), head trauma with traumatic dissection ( = 3, 11.5%), and hypercoagulability ( = 1, 3.8%); in eight patients (30.8%), no apparent cause was found. Eleven patients (42.3%) had a non-ophthalmological neurological deficit as a result of the stroke. Eye examination was performed in nine patients (34.6%) during follow-up. Ophthalmological manifestations included hemianopic visual field defect in seven patients (7.7%) and complete blindness and poor visual acuity in one patient each (3.8%). At the last visit, no change in visual function was detected. The variable etiology and presentation of pediatric stroke may mask specific visual signs. Children with arterial stroke should be referred for early ophthalmological evaluation and visual rehabilitation.