Weill Cornell Neurological Surgery

Stroke and Cerebrovascular Disease Overview

Stroke is the third-leading cause of death in Western countries and the second most common cause of neurological disability after Alzheimer's disease. Cerebrovascular disease can cause stroke or a transient ischemic attack (TIA or "mini-stroke") by providing either too little or too much blood flow to the brain.

Cerebrovascular insufficiency is due to obstruction of arteries, while in other types of cerebrovascular disease, circulatory abnormalities can cause an intracranial hemorrhage — bleeding in the brain — a serious neurological emergency.

The most common causes of stroke or cerebrovascular insufficiency include:

Carotid artery stenosis, in which vessels that supply blood to the brain are blocked
Other conditions, such as moyamoya disease, which occurs when arteries become blocked and new blood vessels grow in a tangle in the area

Other neurocirculatory abnormalities include:

Aneurysm, an outpouching in the wall of an artery
Vascular malformations, abnormalities that develop in embryonic life as a result of maldevelopment of vascular channels. These include:
- Vein of Galen Malformations, a congenital disorder
- Arteriovenous malformation (AVM), or other vascular malformations, such as cavernous malformations, which are rare conditions characterized by abnormal collections or tangles of blood vessels that restrict or alter blood flow
- Venous malformations, the most common type of vascular malformation at autopsy, although they are usually considered benign.

Stroke and cerebrovascular disorders are complex conditions and should be treated by experts at major medical centers.