Brain Bleeds Flashcards
Define stroke and TIA.
Stroke: Acute focal/global loss of brain function of vascular origin lasting >24h
TIA: Stroke with symptoms lasting <24 hours
Why are TIAs important to recognise?
Major risk factor for stroke
What are the two broad classes of stroke and what causes the symptoms?
Which is the commonest?
Ischaemic (stroke caused by occlusion/stenosis of cerebral artery)
Haemorrhagic (stroke caused by vascular rupture and bleeding intro brain parenchyma)
Ischaemic strokes 90% of strokes
Stroke causing paralysis of one body side, homoymous hemianopia and cortical dysfunction.
What kind of stroke is it?
What arteries may be affected?
Total anterior circulation stroke (TACS)
Middle/anterior cerebral arteries.
What are the diagnostic criteria for total anterior circulation stroke (TACS)?
Hemiplegia and Homonymous hemianppia and Cortical dysfunction
What are the diagnostic criteria for partial anterior circulation stroke (PACS)?
2/3 of
Hemiplegia
Homonymous hemianopia
Cortical dysfunction
(2/3 of TACS criteria)
What are the diagnostic criteria for lacunar syndrome (LACS)?
Pure sensory/motor stroke or Ataxic hemiparesis without Cortical dysfunction
(can also get mixed sensorimotor stroke but less common)
What causes lacunar syndrome (LACS)?
Small infarcts in deep brain (e.g basal ganglia)
Stroke without cortical dysfunction.
Which type of stroke does this suggest?
Lacunar syndrome (LACS)
How might a posterior circulation syndrome (POCS) stroke present?
Cerebellar dysfunction
Cranial nerve palsy
Bilateral deficit
Eye movement disorder/homonymous hemianopia
What arteries are disrupted in posterior circulation stroke (POCS)?
Cerebellar/brainstem arteries
Risk factors for stroke.
Old age Hypertension Cardiovascualr disease AF Coagulopathy
Why is laterality of stroke important to assess?
Implications for rehabilitation
Dominant hemisphere strokes can affect language
Non-dominant hemisphere strokes can affect spatial awareness and cause neglect
What is the commonest cause of stroke?
Ischaemic atheroembolic stroke
Name 3 causes of ischaemic stroke.
Atheroembolus
Cardioembolus
Small vessel disease (e.g. amyloid angiopathy)
What increases risk of cardioembolic stroke?
AF (or any other cardiac abnormality)
What is the commonest cause of haemorrhagic stroke?
Hypertension
What can cause haemorrhagic stroke?
Hypertension
Arteriovenous malformations
Amyloid angiopathy
What is the most important initial investigation in stroke and why?
CT scan
Determines if ischaemic or haemorrhagic
What type of stroke are CT scans better at picking up and why?
Haemorhgaic
Fresh blood shows up as clear white areas. Ishcaemic causes inflammation and oedema and the water content shows more subtle dark changes