How does CT differentiate acute and chronic infarct?
- acute: positive (volume gain) sulcal / ventricular effacement. midline shift / herniation.
- chronic: negative (volume loss) widened sulci. ex vacuo dilatation of ipsilateral ventricle.
What does a chronic infarct mean?
Chronic ischemic infarcts are characterized by hypo density and sharply demarcated margins. As the tissue continues to break down and phagocytosis occurs, the parenchyma is replaced with a cystic CSF-filled space.
What is a chronic infarction in the brain?
Specialty. Neurology. A cerebral infarction is the pathologic process that results in an area of necrotic tissue in the brain (cerebral infarct). It is caused by disrupted blood supply (ischemia) and restricted oxygen supply (hypoxia), most commonly due to thromboembolism, and manifests clinically as ischemic stroke.
What is an old infarct on CT scan?
Old infarct Several months after an acute ischaemic event the brain cells in the infarcted area have died leaving an area of low density.
What is a chronic stroke?
Generally speaking, “chronic stroke” refers to the period of recovery that takes place at least six months after the initial stroke event. When a patient enters this stage of recovery, their progress may appear slower than it did in the acute stage. However, improvements are still possible, even decades after a stroke.
What causes chronic stroke?
There are two main causes of stroke: a blocked artery (ischemic stroke) or leaking or bursting of a blood vessel (hemorrhagic stroke). Some people may have only a temporary disruption of blood flow to the brain, known as a transient ischemic attack (TIA), that doesn’t cause lasting symptoms.
How do you treat a chronic infarct?
The first goal of treatment is to restore breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure to normal. If necessary, your doctor will then try to reduce pressure in the brain with medication. The main treatment for ischemic stroke is intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), which breaks up clots.