Abstract: Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics of liver cancer patients complicated with cerebral infarction.Methods Twenty-one patients with liver cancer and cerebral infarction, and 120 patients with liver cancer admitted to our hospital between February 2018 and June 2020 were enrolled in our retrospective study as cerebral infarction group and control group. Univariate and logistic analyses were used to analyze the clinical characteristics of liver cancer complicated with cerebral infarction, and the influencing factors for cerebral infarction in patients with liver cancer.Results The ratio of lymph node metastasis, the levels of platelet, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), alpha fetoprotein (AFP) and D-Dimer (D-D) in cerebral infarction group were higher than those in control group (χ²/t=7.64, 9.71, 14.41, 45.43, 20.11, all P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that platelet, AFP and D-D were independent risk factors for cerebral infarction in patients with liver cancer (OR=4.104, 4.076, 4.987, all P<0.05). In cerebral infarction group, the number of patients complicated with hypertension, diabetes and hyperlipidemia were 7 (33.3%), 5 (23.8%) and 6 (28.6%), respectively. There were 7 cases (33.3%) with single lesion, 14 cases (66.7%) with ≥ 2 arterial regions, 13 cases (61.9%) with small lesions, 6 cases (28.6%) with moderate lesions, and 2 cases (9.5%) with large lesions. The numbers of cases with elevated levels of platelet, AFP and D-D were 17 (81.0%), 13 (61.9%) and 16 (76.2%), respectively.Conclusion The increased levels of platelet, AFP and D-D were the independent risk factors for cerebral infraction in patients liver cancer. The clinical characteristics of 21 patients with liver cancer and cerebral infraction were non-traditional stroke risk factors, 2 or more arterial lesions, small lesions and elevated levels of platelet, AFP and D-D.

Key words: Liver cancer, Cerebral infarction, Risk factors, Platelet, Alpha fetoprotein, D-dimer