We hypothesized that occipital lobe infarctions differ from infarctions in other locations as to etiology, risk factors and prognosis among young adults.Location, etiology, risk factors and long-term outcome were evaluated among all young adults 15-49 years suffering from cerebral infarction in Hordaland County, Norway between 1988 and 1997.The following variables were more frequent among patients with occipital lobe infarction compared with patients with infarctions located elsewhere: younger age (P < 0.001), female sex (P = 0.016), prothrombotic state (P = 0.005) and lack of hypertension (P = 0.001). There was no difference as to long-term mortality or recurrence of cerebral infarction.Occipital lobe infarctions differ from infarctions in other locations among young adults. This may have important etiologic and therapeutical implications that need further studies.