Computed Tomography Imaging of Stroke

Imaging plays a central role in the evaluation of patients with acute stroke symptoms. It is key to distinguish ischemic from hemorrhagic stroke, which can be dif”cult clinically. The main goal in acute ischemic stroke treatment in the early phase is to rescue potentially salvageable ischemic brain tissue as fast as possible. Ischemic stroke is a highly treatable neuroemergency; early intravenous (IV) administration of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) remains the most bene”cial, proven intervention for emergency treatment of stroke. Several interventions, including intra-arterial administration of thrombolytic agents and mechanical interventions, show great promise. Computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) offers important information to guide therapy, including the elimination of hemorrhage as a cause, the characterization of stroke location and subtype, as well as the assessment of tissue viability, with the exact role of these additional pieces of information remaining to be determined.