Background: Monoparetic stroke is rare but could be misdiagnosed as peripheral neuropathy. We investigated the prevalence, lesion pattern, stroke mechanism, and long-term prognosis in patients with monoparetic stroke.
Methods: 586 acute ischemic stroke patients (including 31 with monoparesis) were studied. Monoparetic stroke was defined as a motor deficit in either an arm or a leg but without facial weakness or speech disturbance. Median follow-up period was 32.0 months. Kaplan-Meier survival curves, log-rank tests, logistic regressions, and Cox proportional hazards models were used for clinical outcome analyses.
Results: The mean age (313 men and 273 women) was 67.6 years. Among monoparetic patients, most had cortical (80.6%) and multiple (64.5%) lesions. The main stroke mechanisms were cardioembolism (38.7%) and large artery atherosclerosis (29.0%). Precentral gyrus with additional regions was most frequently involved in monoparesis (45.2%). Upper motor neuron signs were found in only 11 patients (35.5%). Compared with the nonmonoparetic group, these patients had better functional outcomes (6-month modified Rankin scale ≤2) and long-term survival but had comparable risks for further vascular events, including stroke recurrences.
Conclusions: Although monoparetic stroke may have a better functional outcome, the risk of the further vascular event seems similar to nonmonoparetic stroke.