Use of CT/CT angiography, often more readily available than MRI, after a transient ischemic attack or minor stroke predicts risk of recurrent stroke and clinical outcome.
Use of CT/CT angiography (CTA) as soon as possible in patients presenting with transient ischemic attacks (TIA) or minor stroke predicts risk of recurrent stroke and clinical outcome, according to a study published online in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Although MRIs are frequently used for early assessment, CT scanners are usually more readily available to the emergency department, said the study authors. The median waiting time for diffusion-weighted MRI was 17.5 hours, but for CTA imaging, the wait was only 5.5 hours. In addition, CTA does not take much time, adding only five minutes to the standard CT brain scan.
It is estimated that there is a 10 percent risk of recurrent stroke within 90 days of a patient experiencing a TIA or minor stroke, with the majority recurrent strokes occurring within 48 hours of TIA or mild stroke onset. CTA, which uses contrast media to image the vasculature, can identify large artery disease, allowing physicians to determine risk. “A symptomatic intracranial or extracranial severe arterial stenosis or occlusion was predictive of recurrent stroke,” wrote the authors.
In the study, 491 patients with either TIA or minor stroke underwent CT/CTA within 24 hours of onset and most had subsequent MRI. Results showed there were 36 recurrent strokes, with a median time to the event of one day, and a positive CT/CTA scan was a predictor of recurrent stroke.
The authors concluded, “Adoption of CT/CTA into clinical practice for the assessment of patients with TIA and minor stroke identifies a high risk group suitable for aggressive acute stroke prevention treatment.”
Study Reveals Benefits of Photon-Counting CT for Assessing Acute Pulmonary Embolism
April 23rd 2024In comparison to energy-integrating detector CT for the workup of suspected acute pulmonary embolism, the use of photon-counting detector CT reduced radiation dosing by 48 percent, according to newly published research.
The Reading Room: Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Cancer Screenings, and COVID-19
November 3rd 2020In this podcast episode, Dr. Shalom Kalnicki, from Montefiore and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, discusses the disparities minority patients face with cancer screenings and what can be done to increase access during the pandemic.
AI Adjudication Bolsters Chest CT Assessment of Lung Adenocarcinoma
April 11th 2024The inclusion of simulated adjudication for resolving discordant nodule classifications in a deep learning model for assessing lung adenocarcinoma on chest CT resulted in a 12 percent increase in sensitivity rate.