INTRODUCTION

Stroke (cerebral vascular accident or brain attack) is an emergency condition in

which neurologic deficits result from a sudden decrease in blood flow to a localized area
of the brain. Strokes may be ischemic (when blood supply to a part of the brain is
suddenly interrupted by a thrombus, embolus, or blood vessel stenosis), or hemorrhagic
(when blood vessel ruptures, spilling blood into spaces surrounding neurons).
There are types of stroke: the ischemic stroke; [transient ischemic attack, large vessel
(thrombotic) stroke, small vessel stroke (lacunar infarct), cardiogenic embolic stroke]
and hemorrhagic stroke, [intracerebral hemorrhage and subarachnoid hemorrhage].
Infarct is when there is death of tissue with surrounding inflammation due to a sudden
and complete loss of arterial blood supply. It is often preceded by ischemic injury but if it
is gradual and there is only partial ischemia, the body can quickly develop collateral
blood supply to the target area.