About The Webinar
The term cerebrovascular disease is defined as any abnormality of the brain resulting from a pathological process compromising its blood supply. Stroke or cerebrovascular accident (CVA) is the most common clinical presentation of cerebrovascular disease and is defined as a clinical syndrome characterized by the abrupt onset of a neurological deficit referable to a specific vascular territory. By convention, these signs must continue for more than 24 hours to qualify for the diagnosis of stroke, which is usually associated with permanent damage to the brain. A transient ischemic attack (TIA) is an acute neurological syndrome of vascular etiology that resolves within 24 hours and often predicts the risk of a significant incoming stroke. CVA are caused by an abrupt disruption of blood flow to the brain owing to blockage of an artery, depriving brain tissue of oxygen and glucose (ischemic stroke), or rupture of a vessel, resulting in hemorrhage into or around the brain (hemorrhagic stroke). Previously considered uncommon, CVA is being recognised with greater frequency in veterinary medicine since magnetic resonance imaging has become more readily available. Once the diagnosis of ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke is confirmed, potential underlying causes should be sought after and treated accordingly.