The Importance of the Full Blood Count in Cerebral Ischemia: A Review of 609 Consecutive Young Patients with Stroke and Transient Ischemic Attacks

One quarter of our cohort (n = 153) had abnormalities in hematocrit and/or platelets. MPD or TTP was present in 3 of the 5 patients specifically investigated. At least 22 patients (14%) merited further investigation. Although primary hematological disorders are rare in stroke aetiology, the full blood count is important to exclude known causes of arterial cerebrovascular events in young patients.