Stroke after burn: a scoping review

Patients with burn injuries are at higher risk of vascular injury, volume loss, endothelial dysfunction and hypercoagulability-mechanisms also associated with strokes. Few studies identify the risk of cerebral vascular accidents in patients with cutaneous burns. This scoping review sought to synthesize the available literature reporting cerebrovascular accidents after cutaneous burns. We searched PubMed Medline, Ovid Medline, and Cochrane databases from their inception until 27 February 2025 to identify papers reporting stroke after burn injuries in their titles and abstracts. We then screened publications individually for reports of stroke after burns. A preliminary search generated 1137 studies to review, with 12 meeting final inclusion criteria. Six were cohort or observational studies and six were case reports/series. Most studies demonstrated an increased incidence or hazard ratio of stroke following burn, although their heterogeneity limited comparative analysis. None of the included studies originated from the United States, underscoring a major gap in applicability. Further research is warranted to determine the risk of stroke after burn injury and clinical management.