The aim of this review is to present the current knowledge regarding stroke. It will appear in three parts (in part II the pathogenesis, investigations, and prognosis will be presented, while part III will consist of the management and rehabilitation). In the current part (I) the definitions of the clinical picture are presented. These include: amaurosis fugax, vertebrobasilar transient ischemic attack, and stroke (with good recovery, in evolution and complete). The role of the following risk factors is discussed in detail: age, gender, ethnicity, heredity, hypertension, cigarette smoking, hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus, obesity, fibrinogen and clotting factors, oral contraceptives, erythrocytosis and hematocrit level, prior cerebrovascular and other diseases, physical inactivity, diet and alcohol consumption, illicit drug use, and genetic predisposition. In particular, regarding the carotid arteries, the following characteristics are analyzed: atheroma, carotid plaque echomorphology, carotid stenosis, presence of ulcer, local variations in surface deforma bility, pathological characteristics, and dissection. Finally the significance of the cerebral collateral circulation and the conditions predisposing to cardioembolism and to cerebral hemorrhage are presented.
本文的目的是介绍关于中风的现有知识,将分为三个部分(第二部分将介绍发病机制、检查和预后,而第三部分将包括治疗和康复)。在本部分(第一部分)中,将介绍临床症状的定义,包括:短暂性视网膜动脉阻塞、椎-基底动脉短暂性缺血性发作和中风(恢复良好、进展中和完全性)。详细讨论以下风险因素的作用:年龄、性别、种族、遗传、高血压、吸烟、高脂血症、糖尿病、肥胖、纤维蛋白原和凝血因子、口服避孕药、红细胞增多症和血细胞比容率、既往脑血管和其他疾病、缺乏体育锻炼、饮食和饮酒、非法药物使用和遗传易感性。特别是关于颈动脉,分析以下特征:动脉粥样硬化、颈动脉斑块超声形态学、颈动脉狭窄、溃疡存在、表面变形的局部变化、病理特征和分离。最后,介绍了脑侧支循环的重要性以及导致心源性栓塞和脑出血的条件。