

Images that detect blood flow, called CT perfusion (CTP), may be obtained at the same time. In CTA, a contrast material may be injected intravenously and images are obtained of the cerebral blood vessels. To improve the detection and characterization of stroke, CT angiography (CTA) may be performed. Physicians use CT of the head to detect a stroke from a blood clot or bleeding within the brain.

In some cases, a person may not know that he or she has had a stroke. The symptoms of stroke depend on which part of the brain is affected. Symptoms of a TIA may last from a few minutes to up to 24 hours. Most often, no permanent damage results from a TIA however, a TIA is often a warning sign that a stroke will occur. An embolic stroke may also result from an air bubble or other foreign substance in the blood that moves into and blocks a cerebral blood vessel.Ī short episode of stroke-like symptoms is called a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or mini-stroke.

When a blood clot that has formed elsewhere in the body breaks away and travels to a blood vessel in the brain, the result is an embolic stroke, or cerebral embolism. When a clot forms in a cerebral blood vessel that is already very narrow, it is called a thrombotic stroke. The build-up of fat deposits and plaque clog arteries, narrowing the passageway for blood. Over time, these substances harden and form structures called plaque. There are two types of strokes: hemorrhagic and ischemic.Ī hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a blood vessel in the brain ruptures or breaks, allowing blood to leak into the brain.Īn ischemic stroke occurs when a blood vessel carrying blood to the brain is blocked or restricted by severely narrowed arteries or a thickened mass of blood called a blood clot.įat, cholesterol and other substances can collect on the walls of blood vessels. Brain cells that do not receive a constant supply of oxygenated blood may die, causing permanent damage to the brain. A stroke happens when blood flow to a part of the brain is interrupted as a result of a ruptured or blocked blood vessel.
