Atrial fibrillation
becomes increasingly common in the very elderly, and this may contribute to
their increased incidence of stroke.
Amyloid angiopath (and the lobar
hemorrhages that may be associated with this small vessel pathology) is
also most common in the elderly. However, accumulation and destabilization of
atherosclerotic plaques with accompanying thrombus formation remains the pathology
underlying the majority of strokes, regardless of age.