How do doctors tell if you have had a mini stroke?

The only way to tell the difference between a ministroke and a stroke is by having a doctor look at an image of your brain with either a CT scan or an MRI scan. If you’ve had an ischemic stroke, it’s likely that it won’t show up on a CT scan of your brain for 24 to 48 hours. An MRI scan usually shows a stroke sooner.

How does a stroke show up on a CT scan?

The images look like “slices” of the patient’s head, giving doctors a three-dimensional look at the patient’s brain. A brain CT scan can show bleeding in the brain or damage to the brain cells from a stroke. This test can also reveal other brain conditions that may be causing the patient’s symptoms.

What can be mistaken for a mini stroke?

One of the most common stroke mimics is a seizure, which researchers believe account for as many as 20% of all stroke mimics. Other common stroke mimics include migraines, syncope, sepsis, brain tumor and metabolic derangement (low sodium or low blood sugar).

How long does it take for ischemic stroke to show on CT?

A CT scan may even show evidence of early infarction — an area of tissue that is dead or dying due to a loss of blood supply. Infractions generally show up on a CT scan about six to eight hours after the start of stroke symptoms.

Why would Initial CT scan be negative for stroke?

CT scans are excellent at detecting the bleeding in the brain that occurs in hemorrhagic stroke. However, ischemic stroke may be difficult or impossible to see in CT images, especially during the first few hours after the stroke occurs, which is the period when treatment decisions are most important.

How long after a stroke will it show on a CT scan?

Infractions generally show up on a CT scan about six to eight hours after the start of stroke symptoms. If a stroke is caused by hemorrhage, or bleeding into the brain, a CT scan can show evidence of this almost immediately after stroke symptoms appear.

What is a mild stroke?

Mild strokes are often an early warning sign of a regular stroke. Mild strokes are usually quick, occurring when there is a brief blockage of blood flow to the brain. Mild stroke symptoms are similar to those of a regular stroke but last for only a few minutes up to 24 hours.

Can a mini-stroke be misdiagnosed?

The rate of TIA misdiagnosis among TIA clinic referred patients was 45.8%. Among the 230 patients in inpatient setting, the rate of TIA misdiagnosis was 60.0%. A hospital discharge diagnosis of TIA was observed in 54.3% of hospitalized patients; however, only 24.8% had the final diagnosis of TIA.