What is a cerebral infarction?

Written by Wang Li Bing

Intensive Care Medicine Department

Updated on March 25, 2025

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Brain infarction is also relatively common in clinical practice, mainly seen in elderly people, generally accompanied by underlying diseases such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes. Brain infarction is primarily caused by the blockage of cerebral blood vessels, leading to necrosis of brain tissue due to ischemia and hypoxia. After a brain infarction occurs, patients should seek medical attention in a timely manner and be admitted to the department of neurology or neurosurgery for systematic drug treatment. If the infarction area is large or a brain herniation has formed, surgical intervention should be considered, such as decompressive craniectomy and lowering intracranial pressure.

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Written by Zhang Hui

Neurology

1min 4sec

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What is the cause of swollen feet after a stroke?

Patients with cerebral infarction presenting with swollen feet and lower limb edema should be aware of the following reasons. The first scenario is due to reduced activity in the limbs on the paralyzed side, which results in weaker muscle contraction. Consequently, a large amount of blood accumulates in the lower limb veins, causing poor circulation and naturally leading to swollen feet. Therefore, it is crucial for patients to begin early rehabilitation training, engage in muscle massage, and perform passive joint exercises, among other activities. The second scenario that requires close attention is the formation of venous thrombosis in the lower limbs on the paralyzed side after a cerebral infarction. This condition can easily lead to venous thrombosis, which significantly contributes to foot swelling. Furthermore, it increases the risk of pulmonary embolism. It is important to complete routine coagulation tests and d-dimer examinations, as well as comprehensive lower limb venous Doppler ultrasound assessments.

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Written by Liu Yan Hao

Neurology

57sec

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Symptoms of cerebral infarction

Patients with cerebral infarction may exhibit paralysis of one side of the body and aphasia. If the patient has a brainstem infarction, symptoms may include unclear speech, difficulty swallowing, and coughing while eating. In cases of cerebellar infarction, there may not be symptoms of hemiplegia; the main symptom is usually dizziness. Additionally, large-scale cerebral infarctions can lead to disturbances in consciousness, manifesting as coma. Typically, cerebral infarctions do not affect consciousness unless they are extensive, which may also lead to coma. Moreover, patients with cerebral infarction often experience symptoms while resting quietly, commonly waking up in the morning to find themselves unable to speak or with paralysis on one side of the body, although their consciousness remains clear. These are typical manifestations of cerebral infarction.

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Written by Li Min

Neurology

56sec

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Is lacunar infarction serious?

Lacunar stroke, with diameters ranging from 2mm to 15mm, may appear minor in scale but results from long-term arteriosclerosis of cerebral blood vessels, leading to ischemia and necrosis in surrounding tissues. Clinically, symptoms can manifest as pure sensory, pure motor, mixed-type numbness in limbs, among other symptoms. Symptoms are generally mild and recovery is likely; however, long-term oral antiplatelet medications like aspirin are required. Additionally, stabilizing plaques with statins in combination with other drugs is essential. It's also important to maintain a low-salt, low-fat diet, and manage conditions like hypertension and diabetes. Therefore, its severity is relatively mild compared to extensive strokes.

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Written by Tang Bo

Neurology

52sec

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Is lacunar infarction hereditary?

Lacunar stroke is a type of small stroke that occurs within the brain due to the narrowing of small arteries. This narrowing is often caused by long-term hypertension or diabetes, among other risk factors, leading to the obstruction of these vessels. Some patients may not exhibit any symptoms, while others might experience mild symptoms. Regardless of the cause, both hypertension and diabetes have genetic components, suggesting that lacunar strokes are influenced by genetics but are not entirely hereditary. Furthermore, the specific location of a lacunar stroke within the brain determines the symptoms experienced, implying that the condition is not solely genetic but does have genetic factors.

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Written by Tang Bo

Neurology

1min 4sec

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CT manifestations of cerebral infarction

Brain infarction has different manifestations on CT scans at different stages. Generally, within 24 hours, the CT scan may not show any imaging of the cerebral infarction lesion. However, some patients, especially those with thrombosis in the middle cerebral artery, might exhibit a high density sign in the middle cerebral artery. In cases of large-scale cerebral infarction, some sulci on the side affected by the infarction may appear shallower, indicating possible brain swelling. Generally, within 24 hours, a CT scan can reveal a low-density image, which appears relatively darker. This condition is typically considered a brain infarction, and as time progresses, this dark, or low-density image, tends to become even darker. In some patients during the acute phase, although the infarction may not be apparent, a CT scan is performed to rule out bleeding, as CT is very sensitive to bleeding.