Ischemic stroke: carotid and vertebral artery disease

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Vascular Medicine
• Radiology

Background:

• Ischemic strokes stem from diverse intrinsic arterial pathological disorders.
• Accurate diagnosis of arterial diseases is vital for appropriate stroke management and treatment strategies.
• Common adult causes include atherosclerosis, dissection, small vessel disease, vasculopathy, and vasomotor disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an overview of major carotid and vertebral pathological diseases causing ischemic stroke in adults and children.
• To highlight the diagnostic accuracy of various imaging modalities for these arterial diseases.
• To describe the characteristic imaging appearance of these pathological conditions.

Main Methods:

• Review of literature on ischemic stroke aetiologies, focusing on arterial diseases.
• Analysis of diagnostic accuracy of imaging modalities (e.g., MRI, CT angiography, ultrasound).
• Compilation of imaging features for common and pediatric vasculopathies.

Main Results:

• Atherosclerosis is the predominant cause of ischemic stroke in adults.
• Pediatric stroke aetiologies include sickle-cell anemia, Moya-Moya disease, dissections, and vasculitis.
• Imaging modalities demonstrate varying accuracy in diagnosing specific arterial pathologies.

Conclusions:

• Recognizing distinct arterial pathologies is essential for tailored ischemic stroke treatment.
• Advanced imaging techniques are critical for accurate diagnosis and characterization of cerebrovascular diseases.
• Understanding the specific imaging findings aids in differentiating stroke causes in both adult and pediatric populations.