Introduction: Stroke is the leading cause of disability in the world. Its incidence is increasing, even in young people. Therefore, the risk factors and various etiologies of stroke in young people should be studied to plan preventive actions. That is why in Colombia it is necessary to know these factors and etiologies analyzing the studies on the subject. Methods: Search and analysis of articles on causes and risk factors of ischemic stroke in Colombia published in Pubmed, Lilacs, Scielo, Google Scholar. After reviewing titles and abstracts, those that did not refer to young people between 18 and 49 years, reviews, did not refer to ischemic strokes, duplicates, were excluded. Finally, 20 articles were analyzed. Results and discussion: Most of the studies were report or case series, they added 60 people. There was no predominance of sex, except in the cases of antiphospholipid síndrome (APS) that were women, unlike most of the world series. The highest frequency was 56% for other determined causes such as APS and craniocervical vessel dissection, higher than other reports. There was a low frequency of large vessel disease, similar to other studies. Small vessel disease was higher than other reports in Latin America. Conclusions: Most of the information came from reports and case series that may not reflect the real frequency of causes and risk factors. Neurocysticercosis and psychoactive substances as causes of stroke proper of the review in Colombia deserve attention.