Introduction The presence of protruding or ulcerated atheromas in the proximal segment of the aorta is associated with an increased frequency of peripheral or cerebral embolic events . The association, initially recognized in pathology studies , was confirmed in vivo with…
Introduction Cerebral angiography was introduced and expanded by the Portuguese neurologist Egas Moniz close to a century ago . Significant morbidity and mortality in the first procedures lead to a transition to iodinated solution as contrast media, leading to satisfactory…
Introduction Transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD), or transcranial color-coded sonography (TCCS) and duplex ultrasound of extracranial brain supplying vessels are noninvasive methods that can be used at bedside for neurovascular examination ( Fig. 133.1 ). Ultrasound is the safest vessel imaging…
Introduction We image patients with stroke syndromes to establish a diagnosis and to guide patient management, especially when there is a reasonable likelihood of intervention improving outcomes. Computed tomography (CT)- and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based imaging, often in combination, are…
Introduction A stroke is a sudden loss of neurological function due to brain parenchyma damage caused by a cerebrovascular disorder. It can be caused either by the sudden loss or significant decrease of blood flow to a specific brain region…
Introduction Stroke incurs ischemic or hemorrhagic injury in the brain, typically associated with alterations in the cerebral circulation, including a variety of disorders that affect arteries, capillaries, and venous components. Imaging provides detailed information on brain tissue and vascular anatomy…
Abbreviations AF atrial fibrillation ASA atrial septal aneurysm INR international normalized ratio LA left atrium, left atrial LAA left atrial appendage LV left ventricle, left ventricular MAC mitral annular calcification MRI magnetic resonance imaging PFO patent foramen ovale TTE transthoracic…
Identifying the etiology of ischemic stroke is critical to providing optimum therapy and preventing future events. Unfortunately, it is not always a simple task to establish the source, which all too often results in the diagnosis of “cryptogenic” stroke. Since…
Information Used for Stroke Diagnosis Clinicians must first decide on the key questions to be asked. Answers are difficult unless the questions are clearly framed. In neurology, two diagnostic questions always require an answer: (1) what is the disease mechanism—the…
Background Cardiac surgery has undergone a rapid and extraordinary development since mid-1940s. Many operations that were once considered experimental are now commonplace, with thousands of open heart procedures performed annually in the United States. At present, an estimated 1 million…