Cerebrovascular Diseases Flashcards
3 criteria by which stroke is identified
Temporal profile
Evidence of focal brain disease
Clinical setting
Most important modifiable risk factors for stroke
Hypertension Atrial Fibrillation Diabetes mellitus Cigarette smoking Hyperlipidemia
Others include:
Systemic dses assoc with a hypercoagulable state
Use of OCPs
Atrial Fibrillation increases risk of stroke by about ____ and if with rheumatic valvular dse by about ____
6-fold
18-fold
Low levels of this electrolyte has been associated with increased stroke rate albeit through an obscure mechanism
Potassium
Low K intake and reduced serum K levels are associated with an increased stroke rate in several studies…
TIAs are generally considered more closely aligned with
A. Atherothrombotic stroke
B. Embolic stroke
A
Atheromatous plaques preferentially form at
- ICA at its origin from the common carotid
- Cervical part of the VA at their jxn to form the basilar artery
- Stem or main bifurcation of the MCA
- Proximal PCA as they wind around midbrain
- Proximal ACA as they pass ant and curve over the corpus callosum
Mechanisms through which atherothrombosis causes cerebral infarction
- Plaque or thrombus occupies lumen of a major intracerebral vessel (also watershed infarction)
- Atherothrombotic lesion in proximal vessel serve as nidus for formation of embolus (artery-to-artery embolism)
- Atherosclerotic plaque in large vessel occludes orifices of small penetrating vessels
What degree of stenosis and size of residual lumen of the carotid artery is most likely to be associated with strokes in the distal territory of the vessel?
Stenosis of >90%
Residual lumen < approx 2mm
Risk of stroke conferred by Afib according to age
<65y 1% per year
>75y 8%per year
What is the CHA2DS2-VASC score?
Heart failure or EF<35% - 1pt Hypertension - 1 Age 66-74y - 1 Age > 75y - 2 Previous stroke or TIA - 2 Diabetes -1 Coronary or peripheral vascular dse - 1 Female - 1
Predicted yrly stroke risk by total score 0 - 0% 1 - 1.3% 2 - 2.2% 3 - 3.2% 4 - 4.0% 5 - 6.7% 6 - 9.8 7 - 6.9% 8 - 6.7% 9 - 15.5%
Thickness of echogenic atherosclerotic plaques in the aortic arch found to be statistically associated with strokes.
> 4mm thickness
Migrating or traveling embolus syndrome and vessel involved
Artery-to-artery PCA occlusion from a thrombus in the proximal VA: mins or more before hemianopsia, fleeting dizziness diplopia or dysarthria from transient occlusion as clot traverses the BASILAR ARTERY
What is a paradoxical embolism
When an AbN communication exists bet R and L sides of the heart or alternative route connection via pulmonary arteriovenous fistula
Mechanism of embolism following thyroidectomy
Thrombosis in stump of superior thyroid artery extends proximally into lumen of the carotid and a portion is carried into the cerebral circulation
Clinical presentation of fat embolism
Associated to severe bone trauma
First pulmonary sx then multiple dermal (ant axillary fold and elsewhere) and cerebral petechial hemorrhages
Encephalopathy
Cerebral Air embolism may occur as a complication of the ff
Abortion Scuba diving Cranial, cervical or thoracic operations Venous catheter insertion Prev. Pneumothorax therapy
Percentage of presumed embolic strokes in which point of origin cannot be determined
20-30%
Brief ischemic attacks that precede a stroke leaving no clinical or imaging trace almost always stamp the process as
Atherothrombotic
In patients with TIAs caused by atherosclerotic dse, the 5-yr cumulative rate of fatal and nonfatal cerebral infarction is
And of myocardial infarction esp in those with carotid lesions
23% for cerebral infarction
21% for myocardial infarction
Risk of stroke over 3 yrs ff an attack of transient monocular blindness
2% if no other risk factors for atherosclerosis
24% in older pts with risk factors for atherosclerosis
What is the”capsular warning syndrome”
Escalating episodes of weakness in the face arm and leg culminating in a capsular lacunar stroke
A single transitory episode of TIA esp lasting >1hr and multiple episodes of different patterns suggest
Embolism
Brief 2-10min recurrent attacks of the same clinical pattern suggests TIA from
Atherosclerosis and thrombosis in a large vessel
TIAs induced by hyperventilation are characteristic of
Moyamoya disease
Hemodynamic changes on retinal or cerebral circulation make their appearance when lumen of ICA is reduced to:
2mm or less (normal diameter of 7mm, range of 5-10mm)
Or a 95% reduction in cross-sectional area of the vessel
Collateral vessels that may modify the effects of cerebral ischemia
- Subrachnoid interarterial anastomoses (linking MCA ACA and PCA)
- Persistent Trigeminal artery (ICA and BA proximal to circle of Willis)
- Ophthalmic artery (ICA and ECA)
- Deep cervical, thyrocervical, or occipital arteries (VA and ECA)
Cerebrovascular autoregulation through dilation and constriction of small pial vessels is operative over mean BP of approximately
50-150mmHg
Critical threshold of CBF below which functional impairment occurs
23mL/100g/min
CBF below which infarction occurs regardless of duration
Below 10-12mL/100g/min
Critical level of hypoperfusion that abolishes function and leads to tissue damage
CBF 12-23mL/100g/min
CBF that invariably leads to histologic signs of necrosis
CBF 6-8mL/100g/min
Spontaneous, recurrent or migratory venous thromboses (superficial or deep) in people with occult or recently diagnosed visceral malignant disease or hypercoagulable state associated with any malignant disease
Trousseau’s syndrome
Hollenhorst plaque
Crystalline cholesterol sloughed from an atheromatous ulcer, seen on retinal exam as emboli within retinal arteries either shiny white or reddish in appearance
Bruit loudest at
A. the angle of the jaw
B. Lower in the neck
A. Stenosis at proximal ICA
B. Common carotid or Subclavian artery
Occlusion , which occurs most frequently in the first part of the ICA immediately beyond the carotid bifurcation may be clinically silent in what percent of cases?
30-40%
Because no part of the brain is completely dependent on it
Headache on the ff locations is associated to occlusion of which artery?
A. Above the brow
B. At the temple
C. In or Behind the eye
A. Intracranial ICA
B. MCA
C. PCA
Approximate area of
A. Cortical watershed
B. Internal or deep watershed
A. High parietal and frontal cortex and adj subcortical WM (if w longstanding carotid stenosis, shifts down to perisylvian portion of MCA)
B. Subfrontal and subparietal portions of the CSO
Watershed areas in tital circulatory collapse
Sickle-shaped strip from cortical convexity of the frontal lobe through the high parietal lobe to the occipitoparietal junction
Cardinal clinical signs of stenosis, ulceration, and dissection of the ICA
TIAs
Most carotid occlusions are ____
Whereas most MCA occlusions are ______
A. Embolic
B. Thrombotic
Carotid - B. Thrombotic
MCA - A. Embolic
Percent of population wherein a persistent fetal circulation is seen with 1 PCA arising from the ICA?
Both PCA arising from corresponding ICA
20-25%
<5%
What is the thalamic syndrome of Dejerine and Roussy (clinical features, vessel involved)?
Sensory loss that includes hemibody up to the midline, which return after an interval, and pt may develop a painful paresthetic syndrome that may last for years
Thalamogeniculate branches
Sundromes of the paramedian arteries have as their main feature a 3rd nerve palsy combined with:
Weber?
Claude?
Benedikt?
Weber - contralateral hemiplegia
Claude - contralateral ataxic tremor
Benedikt - homolateral ataxia, hemiplegia with contralateral 3rd nerve palsy
Vascular cause of the amnesic Korsakoff syndrome
Occlusion of the paramedian thalamic branches to the mediodorsal nucleus
The vertebral arteries are most often occluded by atherothrombosis in what portion?
Intracranial portion
Dissection of the vertebral artery declares itself by
Cervicooccipital pain and deficits in brainstem function
Subclavian Steal
If the Subclavian artery is blocked proximal to the origin of the L VA, exercise of L arm may draw blood from the R VA and BA to L VA to distal L subclavian
Presenting with vertigo and brainstem signs with transient weakness on exercise of the L arm
Medial medullary syndrome
Medullary pyramid - Contra paralysis of arm and leg (sparing of face)
Medial lemniscus- contra loss of position and vibration sense
Hypoglossal fibers - paralysis and later atrophy of 👅