Background:

Sequelae after a stroke are common and may lead to disability. Aphasia - defined as an acquired language disturbance - can cause important limitations in quality of life.

Aim:

To describe the epidemiological features of patients who had an aphasia after a first episode of ischemic stroke and their functional outcome at six months.

Material and Methods:

Review of a database of a population study on the incidence, 30-day case fatality rate, and prognosis of stroke performed in a northern Chilean city between 2000 and 2002.

Results:

Aphasia was diagnosed in 28 of 142 patients in whom the disorder was sought (20%). The projected incidence rate in the city where the study was carried out is 7.06 per 100,000 inhabitants. The mean age of these 28 patients was 66 ± 20 years and 53% were women. The main risk factor for stroke was hypertension in 62%. The etiology of stroke was undetermined in 64% of these patients. Partial anterior circulation infarction was the most common stroke location in 61%.

Conclusions:

Twenty percent of patients with a first episode of ischemic stroke have aphasia