©Stroke Diagnosis

It is critical to diagnose a stroke in progress because the treatment of stroke depends on the type, source, and even the location of the injury in the brain.

The type of stroke also must be determined because treatment is different for an ischemic versus a hemorrhagic stroke.

Timing is extremely important when it comes to diagnosing a stroke.

Different types of diagnostic tests that your physician may order to diagnose a stroke can include: • CT Scan (Computerized Tomography) • An imaging test that uses radiation to create a picture of the brain. It is usually the first test ordered for a patient with stroke symptoms. This test will give the stroke team valuable information about the cause and location of the stroke and the extent of the injury to the brain. • MRI scan (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) • MRI scans use a large magnetic field to produce an image of the brain that also show the location and extent of the stroke. The image that is created is sharper and more detailed than a CT scan so it is often used to diagnose small, deep injuries of the brain.