The Role of Vascular Imaging in the Initial Assessment of Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke

Overview

Journal Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep

Specialty Neurology

Date 2016 Feb 23

PMID 26898684

Citations 5

Authors

Emmad Qazi

Fahad S Al-Ajlan

Mohamed Najm

Bijoy K Menon

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Over the last few years, improvement in radiological imaging and treatment has changed the management of acute ischemic stroke. We have made significant advances in not only the imaging modalities themselves but also in identifying imaging parameters that can help us predict patient outcomes with both intravascular thrombolysis and endovascular thrombectomy. In this review, we describe the added utility of baseline vascular imaging including computed tomography angiography and magnetic resonance angiography in the diagnosis and management of patients with acute ischemic stroke. We focus on information these imaging modalities provide on clot characteristics, tissue state, collateral status, and endovascular planning. We also highlight the benefits of newer imaging modalities like dynamic computed tomography angiography (CTA) and multi-phase CTA. Lastly, we also describe some of the disadvantages of vascular imaging in ischemic stroke.

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