3. INTRODUCTION
Cerebrovascular diseases include some of the most common and
devastating disorders
Major cause of adult disability
The word “stroke” was first introduced into medicine in 1689 by
William Cole in a ‘physico-medical essay concerning apoplexies’
Apoplexy, from the Greek word meaning “to struck down with
violence," first appeared in Hippocratic Circa 400 BC writings
which describe this phenomenon.
4. DEFINITION
Stroke
◦ ‘Rapidly developing focal (or global) disturbance of cerebral
function, lasting 24 hours or longer, or leading to death, with no
apparent cause other than of vascular origin’ (WHO 1970)
Transient Ischemic attack (TIA)
◦ ‘Episodes of temporary and focal dysfunction of vascular origin,
which are variable in duration, commonly lasting from 2 to 15
minutes, but occasionally lasting as long as a day (24 hours)
(WHO 1975)
5. DEFINITION
Stroke : Clinical syndrome of rapidly evolving focal disturbance of
cerebral function, with no apparent cause other than of vascular
origin with an objective neuroimaging evidence of infarcton
irrespective of duration of symptoms.
TIA : a transient episode of neurological dysfunction caused by focal
brain, spinal cord, or retinal ischemia without objective evidence of
acute infarction
The risk of developing a stroke after a hemispheric TIA can be as high as 20% within the first month, with
the greatest risk within the first 48 hours.
6. EPIDEMIOLOGY
Common neurological emergency associated with morbidity and
mortality
Stroke is the 4th most common neurological disorder after
headache, epilepsy and neuropathy
Someone suffers a stroke every 53 seconds and someone dies
from stroke every 3.3 minutes
Second leading cause of preventable deaths in adults worldwide.
15 million cases annually [WHO]
- 5 million deaths
- 5 million left with disability
- 5 million recover
7. EPIDEMIOLOGY
Male : Female = 1.7:1
Incidence Increases with rising age (0.5/1000 at <40yrs, 10-
12/1000 at 40yrs, 70/1000 at 70yrs)
3rd leading cause of death in USA and 0.6% of admission
In Africa, stroke accounts for 0.9- 4% of hospital admissions and
2.8-4.5% of total deaths
A study in Lagos reported that stroke accounts for 1.14 per 1000
medical admissions and 1 out of every 14.8 deaths
In a study conducted in FTHG showed that stroke account for 8.9%
of medical admissions and 62% of the subjects where male
8. EPIDEMIOLOGY
Among stroke survivors
- 30% require assistance with activities of daily living
- 20% require assistance with ambulation and
- 16% institutional care.
14. PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
Infarctive Stroke
Cerebral auto-regulation is lost and cerebral blood flow will
depend on blood pressure
There is attempt at mobilization of collateral circulation following
occlusion of cerebral blood vessel:
Inner core of infarct (umbra) has CBF 10 mls/100g/min, this area
is energy depleted with disruption membrane ion transport and
mitochondrial failure leading to release of proteolytic enzymes and
ultimately liquefactive necrosis
15. The surrounding core area
(penumbra) has CBF 10-
20mls/100g/min
The penumbra tissue looses
electrical activity but can be
salvaged if blood flow is
restored during the
therapeutic window period
(3-6hrs)
Reduction in BP or
dehydration will thus worsen
ischemia
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
16. PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
Hemorrhagic stroke
Chronic hypertension with
charcot-bouchard aneurysms and
berry/saccular aneurysms,
congenital AV malformations,
amyloid angiopathy,
anticoagulant therapy and drugs
all results to rupture of cerebral
vessels
Bleeding into the surface of the
brain is commonly due to
aneurysm while bleeding into the
tissue of the brain is commonly
caused by HTN
17. PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
Explosive entry of blood into the brain parenchyma with structural
disruption of neuronal activity by
• Compression of neurons and vessels leading to additional ischemic
damage
• Vasospasm from direct neurotoxicity of blood
• Raised ICP from Cerebral oedema
• Large hemorrhages can cause trans-tentorial coning and rapid death due
to severely elevated intracranial pressure
Predilection sites for bleed includes putaminal (35%), lobar (25%), thalamic (20%), cerebellar (8%),
pontine (7%)
18. Hemorrhagic
- Longstanding hypertension with poor compliance
- Associated with emotional excitement/activity
- Headache & vomiting
- Alteration in level of consciousness
- Seizures
CLINICAL PRESENTATION
20. CLINICAL PRESENTATION
Embolic
- Abrupt with no warning
- Patients with known heart disease like VHDx, AF, IHD etc.
- Maximal deficit at onset
- Rapid recovery
22. CLINICAL PRESENTATION
General signs
Fever
Hypertension
Elevated blood sugar
Precordium- murmurs, cardiac arrhythmias
Altered level of consciousness or coma
Neck- carotid bruit, nuchal rigidity
Eye- retinal hemorrhages
Anisocoria (pupillary dilatation/constriction)
23. PHYSICAL EXAMINATION
Physical is directed toward 5 major areas:
(1) assessing the airway, breathing, and circulation (ABCs)
(2) defining the severity of the patient's neurologic deficits (level of
consciousness, visual function, motor function, sensation and
neglect, cerebellar function, and language)
(3) identifying potential causes of the stroke
(4) identifying potential stroke mimics
(5) identifying comorbid conditions
25. CT SCANS
CT is highly sensitive for the diagnosis of haemorrhage in the
acute setting
Early CT Scan is valuable to make diagnosis and to exclude stroke
mimics
26. MRI
MRI is more sensitive than CT for the diagnosis of stroke but
changes are not imminent in the early acute stage
Although new generation CT scanners may identify subtle
indicators of infarction within six hours of stroke onset in a
significant number of patients
29. MANAGEMENT
Management of stroke should ideally be in a dedicated ‘stroke
unit’
The principles of management of stroke
- Resuscitation
- Reperfusion
- Treat or prevent acute complications
- Secondary prevention
- Rehabilitation
32. Treatment of acute complications
Hypertension: Target is <220/120mmHg (MAP <145) in ischemic
stroke and <160/90mmHg (MAP 135) in hemorrhagic stroke.
Presence of end organ damage may require urgent BP reduction
Studies have shown that use of Aspirin as 300mg in the first 24
hrs improves morbidity. It is given for 2 weeks then tapered
The use of anti-oxidant has no place now in management of
stroke. Infact Vit-E may worsen hemorrhagic stroke
The IVF of choice in stroke is N/S
36. PROGNOSIS
The following are associated with poor prognosis
◦ Increased patient age
◦ Raised temperature
◦ Hyperglycemia
◦ Increased blood pressure
◦ Increased stroke severity
◦ Access to specialist care
◦ Availability of stroke facilities
Chances of mortality decreases significantly after the first week
37. CONCLUSION
Stroke is a common neurological emergency and a major cause of
adult disability and mortality world-wide
Despite newer drugs and advances in medical intensive care
technology, the mortality and long-term morbidity rates is still
significantly high
Incidence varies among different parts of the world and increases
with age
Risk factors can be modifiable and non-modifiable, with
hypertension and diabetes as one of the most recognized risk
factors especially among the elderly
Outcome depends on type, time of presentation, facilities available
and presence of co-morbid states
In poor countries, the problem is compounded by increasing level
of poverty, ignorance and poor drug compliance etc.
38. REFERENCES
Lecture notes on cerebrovascular disorders by Dr. Fadimatu Kabir
delivered on 24th February, 2022
Robert M. Kliegman, Bonita F. Stanton, Joseph W. St. Geme III,
Nina F. Schor, & Richard E. Behrman ‘Update on management of
Stroke’ The New England Journal of Medicine. Article No.
10.1056/NEJMoa223456
Professor Parveen Kumar, Dr. Micheal Clark MD Textbook of
Clinical Medicine 8th edition
CT Patterns of Stoke in Adults Patients at FTHG by Dr Yunusa
Dahiru Mohammed
Website: http://www.emedicine/medscape.com/stroke50763.
Accessed on Friday, 27th March 2023, 3:36pm
Editor's Notes
24 hrs time based: obsolete, confusing; misleading as permanent injury may occur sooner
Emboli may either be of cardiac or arterial origin. Cardiac sources include
Atrial fibrillation,
Recent myocardial infarction
Prosthetic valves
Age >65 yrs
Gender M > F
Race Black > asians> whites
Hyperdense middle cerebral artery and midline deviation due to tissue swelling is the tale tale sign of ischemic stroke
Hypodense with ventricular extension for hemorrhagic
Criteria for thrombolysis:
3 hrs from onset
ICH excluded by imaging
SBP < 185; DBP < 110 mm Hg
Platelets > 100,000
Pt not on anticoagulants
No recent surgery or GI bleeding
No seizures at onset
Management of raised ICP: Mannitol and laxis, Nurse in 30, Mechanical thrombectomy, Hemicraniectomy, Hyperventillation, Selective head cooling, Dexamethasone