Stroke

Stroke is the second leading cause of mortality worldwide and a leading cause of acquired adult disability. Primary stroke subtypes include ischemic stroke, intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), and subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Each stroke subtype has differing etiologies, outcomes, and management strategies. The past 30 years have seen considerable advances in diagnosis (emergence of widely available neuroimaging) and treatment of acute stroke. In addition, there is an increased awareness of the importance of covert stroke (stroke on neuroimaging without a history of acute clinical stroke). In this chapter, we provide an overview of stroke, with a primary focus on ischemic stroke, which is the most common cause of stroke worldwide.