The MEDUNSA Stroke Data Bank. An analysis of 304 patients seen between 1986 and 1987.

Stroke is a major cause of mortality and morbidity in black Africans. The MEDUNSA Stroke Data Bank (MSDB) was established in 1984. Its goal is to gather data on all aspects of cerebrovascular disease in South African blacks, and it is supported by modern investigative techniques such as computed tomography (utilised in 82.2% of cases). The majority of the patients (71.2%) had cerebral infarction. Certain features, such as the importance of hypertension and increasing age as risk factors, were found to be similar to Western stroke populations; also, probable or definite cardiac source for cerebral embolism was present in 46% of the patients. In contrast, however, other features, such as transient ischaemic attacks, peripheral vascular disease, coronary artery disease and lacunar strokes, occurred far less frequently than is reported in Western patients. It is hoped that the MSDB will lead to a better understanding of cerebrovascular disease in blacks and possibly to in-depth comparative studies of the ubiquitous problem of atherosclerosis.