Aneurysm – An abnormal bulging of a blood vessel in the brain. A weak spot in the vessel wall is stretched and may rupture.
Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM) – A cluster of abnormal blood vessels.
Embolic Stroke – A type of ischemic stroke. A piece of clot (embolus) originating somewhere other than the brain breaks loose and is swept through your bloodstream to lodge in narrower brain arteries. This blockage is called an embolism.
Hemorrhagic Stroke – This type of stroke occurs when a blood vessel in or around the brain ruptures, spilling blood into the brain or area surrounding the brain. Hemorrhages can result from a number of conditions that affect your blood vessels, including uncontrolled high blood pressure (hypertension) and weak spots in your blood vessel walls (aneurysms).
Infarct — An area of necrosis, or dead cells in brain tissue, due to obstruction of a blood vessel.
Ischemic Penumbra -- An area of the brain with decreased blood flow, but still viable if treated quickly.
Ischemic Stroke -- Ischemic stroke results from a blocked blood vessel, and includes both thrombotic and embolic stroke.
Thrombotic Stroke – A type of ischemic stroke. A blood clot (thrombus) forms inside an artery in the brain – or in one of the neck (carotid or vertebral) arteries that transport blood from the heart to the brain – blocking blood flow. These clots form most often in cases of atherosclerosis, a disease in which rough, fatty deposits build up on the walls of the arteries. These deposits gradually narrow the passageway, causing the blood flow to slow down or stop.
tPA (tissue plasminogen activator) – A clot-dissolving medication administered to stroke patients.
Transient Ischemic Attack - A transient ischemic attack (TIA, or ministroke) is a brief episode of symptoms similar to those you'd have in a stroke. The cause of a transient ischemic attack is a temporary decrease in blood supply to part of your brain. Most attacks last just a few minutes.