Vascular Flashcards
What areas are affected by Pure Motor Hemiparesis (Lacunar Syndrome)?
Contralateral arm, face, and leg; intact sensory, intact cognition.
A patient had a sudden onset of contralateral weakness in their arm, face, and leg. They did not seem to have any cognitive dysfunction and had no issues with feeling. What kind of stroke did they likely have?
Lacunar syndrome:
- Lenticulostriate artery or other MCA branch
- PCA branch
- Anterior choroidal artery
A patient suddenly experienced significant hemiparesis in her R face and R hand. She also demonstrated some expressive language difficulties, including problems repeating words. What stroke did she likely have?
Likely a L MCA superior stroke.
A patient suddenly experienced significant hemisensory loss in her L face and L arm. She also demonstrate severe hemineglect on the left and a right gaze preference. What stroke did she likely have?
R MCA inferior stroke
A patient suffered from a stroke and started experiencing weakness and some sensory loss in his L leg with accompanying nonfluent aphasia with intact repetition. What stroke did he likely have?
R ACA.
Thrombus:
think ‘BUS’
clot form, impedes blood flow; mnemonic - BUS, stuck in traffic, impede traffic flow
Embolus:
think ‘BALL’, or em-BALL-us
clot, air bubble, fatty deposit, or other object which has been carried in the bloodstream to lodge in a vessel and cause an embolism
Atrial Fibrillation (AFib)
irregular heart rate; two upper chambers of the heart experience chaotic electrical signals; increased risk of developing blood clots within the upper chambers of the heart, which then can cause an embolism
Pulmonary Embolism (PE)
a blood clot has formed elsewhere (usually the leg), and travels to the lungs, where it gets caught in a pulmonary artery, causing ischemia
(deep vein thrombosis)
Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)
clots form in the veins in the legs, which can cause reduced blood flow in the veins, causing leg edema, or it can cause an embolism elsewhere (e.g., PE)
The majority of strokes occur in the (anterior or posterior) circulations
The other area is generally affected by the anterior or posterior) circulations
anterior circulation (ACA, MCA, anterior choroidal) 80%
posterior circulation (vertebrobasilar, PCA) 20%
Atherosclerosis
Buildup of fatty deposits within the walls of arteries
Vasculitis
inflammation of blood vessels; swelling can cause the vessels to constrict, restricting blood flow
Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy (CAA)
buildup of amyloid protein in the walls of arteries in the brain, causing weakened walls, increases risk for hemorrhagic stroke
Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)
heart failure; when the heart does not pump blood as well as it should; can cause fluid buildup around the lungs
Tissue Plasminogen Activator (tPA)
FDA-approved treatment for ischemic or thromboembolic stroke (thrombolytic), pulmonary embolism, or myocardial infarction; increases the enzyme of plasmin, which breaks down clots; should be administered within 4.5 hours of symptoms (after CT scan to rule out contraindications, such as hemorrhage)
Warfarin
anticoagulant; rat poison
helps prevent stroke (reduces risk by 60-70%)
Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)
brief episodes (0-24 hours) of neurologic dysfunction resulting from focal cerebral ischemia; may not be seen on imaging; usually a warning sign before a full stroke