Condition Lookup

Ischemic Stroke

Specialty: Neurology

Symptoms:
sudden weakness or numbness, especially on one side of the body; confusion; trouble speaking or understanding speech; vision problems; difficulty walking; dizziness; severe headache without known cause

Root Cause:
Blockage of blood flow to the brain due to a blood clot or atherosclerosis, leading to reduced oxygen supply and cell death.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Neurological examination, CT scan or MRI of the brain, carotid ultrasound, echocardiography, and blood tests for clotting factors and cholesterol.

Treatment:
Emergency treatment with thrombolytic therapy (e.g., alteplase), mechanical thrombectomy, blood thinners, and management of underlying risk factors such as hypertension and high cholesterol. Rehabilitation follows.

Medications:
Thrombolytics like alteplase (tissue plasminogen activator, or tPA) are used in acute cases; antiplatelet drugs (e.g., aspirin , clopidogrel ) and anticoagulants (e.g., warfarin , dabigatran ) are prescribed for long-term prevention. Statins (e.g., atorvastatin , rosuvastatin ) may also be used.

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Approximately 87% of all strokes are ischemic strokes; incidence increases with age.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Hypertension, diabetes, smoking, high cholesterol, obesity, atrial fibrillation, and family history of stroke.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Early treatment improves outcomes, with recovery dependent on the extent and location of the brain damage. Rehabilitation plays a critical role.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Permanent neurological deficits, recurrent strokes, post-stroke depression, and increased risk of infections like pneumonia.

Hemorrhagic Stroke

Specialty: Neurology

Category: Cerebrovascular Diseases

Symptoms:
sudden severe headache; nausea and vomiting; loss of consciousness; weakness or numbness; difficulty speaking or understanding; vision changes; seizures

Root Cause:
Rupture of a blood vessel in the brain, leading to bleeding and increased intracranial pressure, often due to hypertension, trauma, or aneurysms.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
CT scan or MRI to visualize bleeding, angiography for vascular abnormalities, and blood tests to check clotting factors.

Treatment:
Immediate stabilization, managing blood pressure, surgical interventions (e.g., craniotomy or aneurysm clipping), and rehabilitation for neurological recovery.

Medications:
Antihypertensives (e.g., labetalol , nicardipine ), osmotic agents like mannitol for reducing intracranial pressure, and reversal agents for anticoagulants if applicable.

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Accounts for approximately 13% of all strokes; more common in individuals with uncontrolled hypertension.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Hypertension, cerebral aneurysms, anticoagulant use, head trauma, and smoking.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
High mortality rate, especially with large bleeds; survivors may have significant neurological deficits. Recovery depends on the extent of damage and rehabilitation.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Brain swelling, hydrocephalus, rebleeding, seizures, and long-term cognitive or motor deficits.

Cerebral Aneurysms

Specialty: Neurology

Category: Cerebrovascular Diseases

Symptoms:
sudden severe headache; vision changes; neck pain; nausea and vomiting; sensitivity to light; loss of consciousness; seizures

Root Cause:
Weakening and bulging of a blood vessel wall in the brain, which may rupture and cause subarachnoid hemorrhage.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
CT scan, MRI, or cerebral angiography to visualize the aneurysm and assess its size and location.

Treatment:
Observation for small, unruptured aneurysms; surgical clipping or endovascular coiling for large or high-risk aneurysms.

Medications:
Calcium channel blockers (e.g., nimodipine ) to reduce vasospasm risk; analgesics for pain management.

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Occurs in about 3-5% of the population, with rupture risk increasing with age.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Hypertension, smoking, family history, polycystic kidney disease, and connective tissue disorders.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Ruptured aneurysms have high mortality; unruptured aneurysms may remain stable if risk factors are controlled.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Rupture leading to subarachnoid hemorrhage, vasospasm, hydrocephalus, and permanent neurological deficits.

Arteriovenous Malformations (AVMs)

Specialty: Neurology

Category: Cerebrovascular Diseases

Symptoms:
headache; seizures; progressive neurological deficits; weakness or numbness; vision problems; dizziness

Root Cause:
Abnormal tangling of arteries and veins, bypassing capillaries, leading to weakened vessels prone to rupture.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
CT or MRI of the brain; cerebral angiography to confirm and map the AVM.

Treatment:
Surgical removal, endovascular embolization, or stereotactic radiosurgery, depending on size and location.

Medications:
Antiepileptics for seizure control; pain medications for symptom relief.

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Rare; affects less than 1% of the population.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Congenital malformation; rarely familial.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Good if treated before rupture; untreated AVMs carry a 2-4% annual risk of hemorrhage.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Intracranial hemorrhage, permanent neurological damage, and seizures.

Cavernous Malformations

Specialty: Neurology

Category: Cerebrovascular Diseases

Symptoms:
seizures; progressive neurological deficits; headache; vision changes; difficulty speaking

Root Cause:
Cluster of abnormal, thin-walled blood vessels prone to leaking but less likely to cause massive hemorrhage.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
MRI with gradient-echo sequences for detection.

Treatment:
Monitoring for asymptomatic cases; surgical removal for symptomatic or accessible lesions.

Medications:
Antiepileptics for seizure control.

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Affects 0.1-0.5% of the population; some cases are familial.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Genetic mutations, particularly in familial cases.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Variable; good with appropriate treatment.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Progressive neurological deficits, recurrent hemorrhage, and seizures.

Carotid Artery Stenosis

Specialty: Neurology

Category: Cerebrovascular Diseases

Symptoms:
tias; stroke symptoms; bruit heard on examination

Root Cause:
Narrowing of the carotid arteries due to atherosclerosis, reducing blood flow to the brain.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Carotid ultrasound, CT angiography, MR angiography, or conventional angiography.

Treatment:
Carotid endarterectomy or stenting; medical therapy for atherosclerosis.

Medications:
Antiplatelet drugs like aspirin or clopidogrel ; statins like atorvastatin to lower cholesterol; antihypertensives to control blood pressure.

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Increases with age; significant stenosis found in 1-5% of individuals over 65.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Smoking, hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and family history of cardiovascular disease.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Good with early treatment; untreated cases may lead to stroke.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Stroke, embolism, and restenosis after treatment.

Moyamoya Disease

Specialty: Neurology

Category: Cerebrovascular Diseases

Symptoms:
recurrent strokes or tias; headache; seizures; cognitive impairment; progressive weakness or numbness; speech difficulties

Root Cause:
Progressive narrowing of cerebral arteries, especially the internal carotid arteries, leading to the formation of collateral vessels (moyamoya vessels) that are fragile and prone to rupture or insufficient blood flow.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
MRI and MR angiography, CT angiography, cerebral angiography, and perfusion studies.

Treatment:
Surgical revascularization techniques such as direct bypass (e.g., STA-MCA bypass) or indirect bypass (e.g., encephaloduroarteriosynangiosis).

Medications:
Antiplatelet agents like aspirin to reduce stroke risk; anticonvulsants for seizure control.

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Rare; higher prevalence in East Asian populations, particularly Japan and Korea.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Genetic predisposition, particularly in familial cases; associated with conditions like Down syndrome and neurofibromatosis type 1.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Good with surgical intervention; progressive without treatment, with a high risk of recurrent strokes.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Recurrent strokes, hemorrhages, cognitive decline, and seizure disorders.

Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis (CVST)

Specialty: Neurology

Category: Cerebrovascular Diseases

Symptoms:
severe headache; visual disturbances; seizures; nausea and vomiting; altered consciousness; progressive neurological deficits

Root Cause:
Formation of a blood clot in the dural venous sinuses, obstructing venous drainage from the brain and leading to increased intracranial pressure and potential hemorrhage.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
MRI with MR venography, CT venography, or digital subtraction angiography.

Treatment:
Anticoagulation with heparin or low-molecular-weight heparin initially, followed by oral anticoagulants (e.g., warfarin, dabigatran); in severe cases, thrombectomy or thrombolysis may be needed.

Medications:
Anticoagulants like heparin , warfarin , or direct oral anticoagulants (e.g., rivaroxaban , apixaban ) are standard; antiepileptics for seizure control if necessary.

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Rare; occurs in 3-4 cases per million annually, more common in younger adults and women.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Pregnancy, oral contraceptive use, clotting disorders, dehydration, infection, trauma, and malignancy.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Good with early diagnosis and treatment; most patients recover fully, though some may have persistent neurological deficits.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Intracranial hemorrhage, seizures, persistent neurological deficits, and chronic headaches.