Ischemic stroke occurs when a blockage is present in a
blood vessel that supplies an area of the brain. Ischemic
stroke accounts for approximately 85% of all strokes1
and can be classified as thrombotic, embolic, or lacunar.
Thrombus-producing ischemic stroke is common in
areas where plaque has built up over time because platelets
adhere and aggregate at that site until eventually
the blood vessel is occluded, causing an ischemic event.
Embolic strokes occur when an embolus forms in
another area of the body and travels to the brain,
blocking the flow of blood. Lacunar strokes are thromboses
of small penetrating arteries that often are caused
by hypertension and hipohyalinosis.12,13 Approximately
30% of strokes are cryptogenic in origin—that is, a
thorough workup does not reveal a known cause of
the stroke.1