Stroke and Intracranial Hemorrhage

A stroke, or a cerebrovascular event, describes the clinical syndrome produced by an acute disruption of the cerebral vasculature, which ultimately leads to brain injury. Strokes can be ischemic or hemorrhagic, each with multiple etiologies, ranging from trauma and low intracranial pressure to inadequate use of anticoagulants. The specific clinical presentation depends on the vascular territories compromised during the cerebrovascular event. For optimal comprehension, the student needs to be familiarized with the anatomy of the contents of the cranial vault, the major vessels that supply the brain and brainstem, and the correlation of each vascular territory with the underlying function of the compromised tissues. In the western world, cardiovascular disease is a major driver of morbidity and mortality. For this reason, the clinician must be well-equipped to promptly recognize (time is brain!) and properly manage cerebrovascular events to attain optimal patient outcomes.