A stroke (also called a cerebrovascular accident, CVA) is an acute disturbance of the cerebral perfusion or vasculature. Approximately 85% of strokes are ischemic (blockage of a vessel) and remainder are hemorrhagic.
Criteria | Points |
---|---|
Age | • <65 years old = 0 • 65-74 years old = +1 • ≥75 years old = +2 |
Sex | • Male = 0 • Female = +1 |
Congestive heart failure history | +1 |
Hypertension history | +1 |
Stroke/TIA/thromboembolism history | +2 |
Vascular disease history (Prior MI, peripheral artery disease, or aortic plaque) | +1 |
Diabetes mellitus history | +1 |
CHA₂DS₂-VASc Score | Risk of ischemic stroke | Risk of stroke/TIA/systemic embolism |
---|---|---|
0 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
1 | 0.6% | 0.9% |
2 | 2.2% | 2.9% |
3 | 3.2% | 4.6% |
4 | 4.8% | 6.7% |
5 | 7.2% | 10.0% |
6 | 9.7% | 13.6% |
7 | 11.2% | 15.7% |
8 | 10.8% | 15.2% |
9 | 12.2% | 17.4% |
Strokes can be caused by anyone of the following pathophysiological processes:
The differential diagnosis for a stroke is broad:
Normal | Upper Motor Neuron Lesion (Stroke) | Lower Motor Neuron Lesion (Bell's Palsy) | |
---|---|---|---|
Facial involvement | None | Lower face | Lower + upper face involvement |
When asking patient to smile and raise eyebrows (testing CN VII) | Normal anatomic landmarks during smiling and raising the eyebrows. | • Mouth drooping • Forehead wrinkles intact | • Mouth drooping • The forehead is not wrinkled and the palpebral fissure is widened |
Bell's Palsy | Acute Stroke | |
---|---|---|
Age | 20x-50s | > 60 |
Onset | Hours to few days | Seconds to minutes |
Upper face | Always affected | +/- affected |
Lower face | Always affected | Always affected |
Associated symptoms | Typically none | Weakness, numbness, speech difficulty, slurred speech, diplopia, swallowing difficulty, vertigo, ataxia |