Cerebrovascular disorders

Abstract

Purpose of review: Not unexpected from the variety of cerebrovascular disorders and their morphologic and clinical consequences the contributions of neuroimaging are also quite diverse and go with different approaches in different directions. By reviewing the recent advances in these various areas, we will attempt to highlight those contributions, which may be most meaningful both for the clinician and the researcher dealing with cerebrovascular disorders.

Recent findings: After long expectations of the utility of mismatch concepts, such patient selection has proven successful in extending the benefit of recanalization of acute ischaemic stroke by mechanical thrombectomy beyond 6 h and the importance of infarct size and collaterals has been documented. Insights into the association of bleeding markers such as cerebral microbleeds and cortical superficial siderosis with spontaneous, treatment-related, first or recurrent intracerebral haemorrhage have been consolidated and explored further. New data have been added to better understand the clinical and prognostic impact of the various features of small vessel disease including cortical microinfarcts.

Summary: Neuroimaging findings increasingly serve to guide treatment decisions in acute ischaemic stroke, to identify morphologic markers associated with the risk for intracerebral haemorrhage and to detect and understand the consequences of chronically accumulating cerebrovascular damage.