CT Angiography in Acute Ischemic Stroke: Clinical Research

Park, Ho Kwon; Kang, Hyun Seung; Chang, Sang Keun; Moon, Chang Taek; Cho, Joon; Choe, Woo Jin; Noh, Hong Gee; Koh, Young Cho

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
This study was designed to evaluate the feasibility and clinical implications of CT angiography (CTA) in patients with acute ischemic stroke.
METHODS
From August 2004 to July 2005, 24 cases of acute ischemic stroke were prospectively included in this study. We checked location of ischemic parenchymal lesion, location of vascular occlusion, degree of collateral supply, and presence of other accompanying vascular lesions on CT and CTA, and assessed the usefulness of CTA by comparing the findings with those of diffusionweighted MR imaging and digital subtraction angiography.
RESULTS
Average time required for performing CT and CTA and getting reconstructed images was 30 minutes. Location of the parenchymal lesions and the corresponding occluded or stenosed artery could be clarified in 16 cases (67%) and 20 cases (83%), respectively. There were 13 cases of severe stenosis and 7 cases of occlusion. In 7 cases of major arterial occlusion, degree of collateral circulation could be assessed as good in 5, and moderate in 2. Incidental unruptured intracranial aneurysms were identified in 5 cases.
CONCLUSION
CTA could provide valuable information regarding locations of parenchymal lesion and vascular occlusion, degree of collateral supply, and presence of accompanying intracranial aneurysm in cases of acute ischemic stroke without significant time delay, thereby guiding therapeutic plan.