Pathology of Cerebrovascular Disease Flashcards
What is the physiological cause of a stroke?
Interruption of supply of oxygen (caused by changes in vessel wall, blood flow or blood constituents) and nutrients causing damage to brain tissue
What are the three main causes of localised interrupted blood supply?
Atheroma/thrombosis of artery causing ischaemia
Thromboembolism causing ischaemia
Ruptured aneurysm of a cerebral vessel causing haemorrhage
What are the difference between transient and longstanding symptoms?
Transient symptoms- <24hrs, due to reversible ischaemia, tissue still viable
Longstanding symptoms, >24hrs, due to irreversible ischaemia causing localised brain death/infarct
What are the common sites of ruptured vessels causing haemorrhagic stroke?
Basal ganglia
Circle of Willis
What are the three pathological causes of generalised interrupted blood supply/hypoxia?
Low O2 in blood
Inadequate supply of blood
Inability to use O2 (rare)
What are some common causes of low O2 in the blood?
CO2 poisoning
Near drowning
Respiratory arrest
What are some common causes of inadequate supply of blood?
Cardiac arrest
Hypotension
Brain swelling (trauma)
What kind of brain infarction does hypotension cause?
Watershed infarction
What kind of brain infarction does cardiac arrest cause
Cortical infarction