A Study on Clinical and Radiological Findings of Acute Ischemic Stroke in Patients with and Without Diabetes in a Tertiary Care Centre

Background: Stroke is twice more common in diabetics than in non-diabetics. The aim of the study was to study the clinical and radiological findings in acute ischemic stroke and to assess the severity of stroke in acute ischemic stroke patients with diabetes. Also to study the stroke pattern (stroke subtype and area of infarction) in acute ischemic stroke patients with diabetes and to assess the clinical outcome in these patients. Objective: To study the stroke pattern and to assess the clinical outcome of acute ischemic stroke patients with diabetes. Methods: 61 patients presenting with acute ischemic stroke were randomly selected over one year and assessed for history, RBS, HbA1c, and neuroimaging. Clinical evaluation on admission was done and scored accordingly by NIHSS and the level of disability by mRS. Results: Mean age was 64.01 ± 9.59 years with male preponderance. 50.8% of patients were known diabetics and 16.39% were newly detected diabetics with the highest mean NIHSS score. In diabetic patients, the mean NIHSS score is 12.34 ± 6.22 while in non-diabetic it is 7.15 ± 2.46. 63.41% of lacunar infarct patients were diabetic. Infarcts in 40% of diabetic patients are localized to the occipital region. Stress hyperglycaemic were 4 in number and all have moderate to severe disability on mRS. Conclusion: Acute ischemic stroke is more common in males in the 5th and 6th decade of life. The severity of acute ischemic stroke is higher in diabetic patients and the NIHSS score worsening is correlated with elevated blood sugar levels. The incidence of lacunar infarcts in diabetic stroke patients is 63.41%. In diabetic patients’ infarcts are more over the occipital region. The clinical outcome of the disease worsens with poor glycemic control. Keywords: Ischemic Stroke; Diabetes; Severity; Lacunar; Occipital; Clinical Outcome