How a Stroke is Diagnosed
Your doctor will diagnose your stroke based on the symptoms that you are having, your medical history, along with other test results.
Typical tests used to diagnose a stroke are:
Computed tomography( CT-scan):
This scan will get an image of your brain and is used to rule out if there is bleeding in your brain.
Computed tomographic angiography( CTA):
Contrast dye is used during this scan. This scan gets a better look at the vessels and veins in your brain. Looking at blood vessels in the brain can help to see if there is an abnormal finding.
Magnetic resonance imaging( MRI):
This scan can see more in-depth at the brain than a CT scan can. An MRI can also show if you have had a stroke in the past. An MRI can be used instead of a CT scan to diagnose a stroke, but often, both a CT and MRI will be done.
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