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. 2021 Jan 27:14:285-288.
doi: 10.2147/IJGM.S297310. eCollection 2021.

Identifying the Stroke Mimics

Ajay Kumar Mishra  1 , Harshad Arvind Vanjare  2 , Anu Anna George  1 , Kamal Kant Sahu  1
Affiliations

Identifying the Stroke Mimics

Ajay Kumar Mishra et al. Int J Gen Med. .

Abstract

Individuals presenting with sudden and focal neurological findings are usually suspected to have stroke. However, there are other conditions that can simulate stroke, which are often referred to as stroke mimics. Awareness and understanding these stroke-like disorders are of extreme importance as the treatment of each of them might be variable. We hereby briefly discuss these stroke mimics, common differentials, and key features to differentiate amongst the various causes of acute neurological event. Stroke is one of the neurological emergencies that needs urgent intervention to prevent significant mortality and morbidity. At the same time, it is important to realize the importance of other conditions which may mimic to stroke. In this letter, we aim to discuss a few key features that could probably help to distinguish stroke from mimickers thereby helping emergency doctors, neurologists, and hospitalists in streamlining the correct treatment at the earliest.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; neurology; stroke; virus.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Angioinvasive aspergillosis in a 20-year-old female with headache and acute onset aphasia. (A) T2W axial section shows inflammatory changes in the sphenoid sinus (white arrow) with altered signal intensity in the adjacent medial aspect of the left temporal lobe (black arrow). (B) Post contrast T1W axial section shows enhancing area in the region of left temporal lobe signal abnormality. (C) Diffusion study shows an acute infarct in the left temporal lobe related to infective vasculitis of left middle cerebral artery (white arrow). (D) Follow up T2W axial section after 15 months shows chronic infarcts in the left MCA territory.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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