What is intracranial artery stenosis?

What is intracranial artery stenosis?

Overview. Intracranial stenosis, also known as intracranial artery stenosis, is the narrowing of an artery in the brain, which can lead to a stroke. The narrowing is caused by a buildup and hardening of fatty deposits called plaque. This process is known as atherosclerosis.

What does focal stenosis mean?

Carotid artery stenosis is a narrowing of the large arteries on either side of the neck. These arteries carry blood to the head, face, and brain. This narrowing is usually the result of a build-up of plaque within the arteries, a condition called atherosclerosis.

What is occlusion and stenosis of basilar artery?

Basilar artery occlusions (BAOs) are a subset of posterior circulation strokes. Particular issues relevant to BAOs include variable and stuttering symptoms at onset resulting in delays in diagnosis, high morbidity and mortality, and uncertain best management.

What causes brain stenosis?

In the context of stroke, “stenosis” is usually caused by atherosclerosis, a condition where a blood vessel supplying blood to the brain is narrowed due to fatty deposits, known as plaques, on the vessel’s inside wall. Risk factors for this type of stenosis include high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

What causes basilar artery occlusion?

The risk factors for basilar artery thrombosis are the same as those seen generally in stroke. The most common risk factor is hypertension, which is found in as many as 70% of cases. It is followed by diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, peripheral vascular disease, cigarette smoking, and hyperlipidemia.

What happens if the basilar artery is blocked?

Most commonly, patients experiencing basilar artery occlusion exhibit acute neurologic signs including motor deficits, hemiparesis or quadriparesis, and facial palsies, dizziness, headache, and speech abnormalities–especially dysarthria and difficulty articulating words.