Cerebrovascular Accident
CEREBROVASCULAR ACCIDENT
Cerebrovascular accident, termed as “brain attack,” is also referred to as Stroke. Stroke is a sudden loss of function resulting from a disruption of the blood supply to a localized part of the brain.
The mortality and morbidity of CVA in the Philippines is relatively low.
There are two types of stroke:
1. Ischemic Stroke is a disruption of the blood supply due to an obstruction, usually thrombus or embolism that causes infarction of brain tissue.
2. Hemorrhagic Stroke is caused primarily by an intracranial or subarachnoid hemorrhage. It may also be due to spontaneous rupture of small vessels primarily related to hypertension, subarachnoid hemorrhage due to a ruptured aneurysm or intracranial hemorrhage related to amyloid angiopathy, arterial venous malformations, intracranial aneurysms, or medications such as anticoagulants.
Types of Ischemic Stroke:
• Large Artery Thrombotic Strokes are due to atherosclerotic plaques in the large blood vessels of the brain. Thrombus formation and occlusion at the site of the atherosclerosis result in ischemia and infarction.
• Small Penetrating Artery Thrombotic Strokes affects one or more vessels and are the most common type of ischemic stroke. It is also called Lacunar Strokes because of the cavity that is created once the infracted brain tissue disintegrates.
• Cardiogenic Embolic Strokes are associated with cardiac dysrythmias, usually atrial fibrillation. Emboli originate from the heart and circulate to the cerebral vasculature, most commonly the left middle cerebral artery, resulting in stroke. Embolic stroke may be prevented by the use of anticoagulation therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation.
• The last two classifications of ischemic strokes are cryptogenic strokes, which have no known cause, and other strokes, from causes such as cocaine use, coagulopathies, migraine, and spontaneous dissection of the carotid or vertebral arteries.
Cerebrovascular accident, termed as “brain attack,” is also referred to as Stroke. Stroke is a sudden loss of function resulting from a disruption of the blood supply to a localized part of the brain.
The mortality and morbidity of CVA in the Philippines is relatively low.
There are two types of stroke:
1. Ischemic Stroke is a disruption of the blood supply due to an obstruction, usually thrombus or embolism that causes infarction of brain tissue.
2. Hemorrhagic Stroke is caused primarily by an intracranial or subarachnoid hemorrhage. It may also be due to spontaneous rupture of small vessels primarily related to hypertension, subarachnoid hemorrhage due to a ruptured aneurysm or intracranial hemorrhage related to amyloid angiopathy, arterial venous malformations, intracranial aneurysms, or medications such as anticoagulants.
Types of Ischemic Stroke:
• Large Artery Thrombotic Strokes are due to atherosclerotic plaques in the large blood vessels of the brain. Thrombus formation and occlusion at the site of the atherosclerosis result in ischemia and infarction.
• Small Penetrating Artery Thrombotic Strokes affects one or more vessels and are the most common type of ischemic stroke. It is also called Lacunar Strokes because of the cavity that is created once the infracted brain tissue disintegrates.
• Cardiogenic Embolic Strokes are associated with cardiac dysrythmias, usually atrial fibrillation. Emboli originate from the heart and circulate to the cerebral vasculature, most commonly the left middle cerebral artery, resulting in stroke. Embolic stroke may be prevented by the use of anticoagulation therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation.
• The last two classifications of ischemic strokes are cryptogenic strokes, which have no known cause, and other strokes, from causes such as cocaine use, coagulopathies, migraine, and spontaneous dissection of the carotid or vertebral arteries.