Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a global pandemic, affecting millions of people. However, the relationship between COVID-19 and acute cerebrovascular diseases is unclear. Aims We aimed to characterize the incidence, risk factors, clinical–radiological manifestations, and outcome of COVID-19-associated stroke. Methods Three medical databases were systematically reviewed for published articles on acute cerebrovascular diseases in COVID-19 (December 2019–September 2020). The review protocol was previously registered (PROSPERO ID = CRD42020185476). Data were extracted from articles reporting ≥5 stroke cases in COVID-19. We complied with the PRISMA guidelines and used the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale to assess data quality. Data were pooled using a random-effect model. Summary of review Of 2277 initially identified articles, 61 (2.7%) were entered in the meta-analysis. Out of 108,571 patients with COVID-19, acute CVD occurred in 1.4% (95%CI: 1.0–1.9). The most common manifestation was acute ischemic stroke (87.4%); intracerebral hemorrhage was less common (11.6%). Patients with COVID-19 developing acute cerebrovascular diseases, compared to those who did not, were older (pooled median difference = 4.8 years; 95%CI: 1.7–22.4), more likely to have hypertension (OR = 7.35; 95%CI: 1.94–27.87), diabetes mellitus (OR = 5.56; 95%CI: 3.34–9.24), coronary artery disease (OR = 3.12; 95%CI: 1.61–6.02), and severe infection (OR = 5.10; 95%CI: 2.72–9.54). Compared to individuals who experienced a stroke without the infection, patients with COVID-19 and stroke were younger (pooled median difference = −6.0 years; 95%CI: −12.3 to −1.4), had higher NIHSS (pooled median difference = 5; 95%CI: 3–9), higher frequency of large vessel occlusion (OR = 2.73; 95%CI: 1.63–4.57), and higher in-hospital mortality rate (OR = 5.21; 95%CI: 3.43–7.90). Conclusions Acute cerebrovascular diseases are not uncommon in patients with COVID-19, especially in those whom are severely infected and have pre-existing vascular risk factors. The pattern of large vessel occlusion and multi-territory infarcts suggests that cerebral thrombosis and/or thromboembolism could be possible causative pathways for the disease.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, stroke, Hemorrhagic Stroke, acute cerebrovascular disease, 【초록키워드】 Meta-analysis, Coronavirus disease 2019, Severe infection, Risk factors, protocol, thrombosis, Infection, Diabetes Mellitus, outcome, hypertension, database, Coronary artery disease, global pandemic, Thromboembolism, pathway, Manifestations, scale, incidence, Intracerebral hemorrhage, Frequency, Cerebrovascular disease, cerebrovascular diseases, CVD, Older, Vascular, in-hospital mortality rate, individual, Registered, article, articles, occurred, the disease, median, less, affecting, large vessel, patients with COVID-19, with COVID-19, 【제목키워드】 Meta-analysis, systematic review,