This study was designed to investigate the outcomes in patients with massive cerebral infarction, and to determine the risk factors associated with worse outcomes in the patients with massive cerebral infarction. Twenty-seven patients with acute massive cerebral infarction were hospitalized in our institution. These 10 men and 17 women had an average age of 77.8 years (range, 42 to 97 years). Some patients had multiple infarctions. Thirteen patients had infarctions of the middle cerebral artery, 12 patients had internal carotid artery infarctions, 6 patients had anterior cerebral artery infarctions, and 3 patients had vertebro-basilar artery infarctions. The causes of the main cerebral arterial infarctions were cardiac embolism in 22 patients, atherothrombosis in 4 patients, and unknown in one patient. Fifteen (55%) of the 27 patients died from transtentorial herniation caused by massive cerebral infarction or from general complications. Of the 12 patients (45%) who survived, 8 patients were moderately disabled, 1 patient was severely disabled, and 3 patients existed in a vegetative state. Worse outcomes were more frequent in younger patients with internal carotid artery infarctions related to cardiogenic embolism.