Cerebrovascular Terms

Antegrade

Forward flow

Bifurcation

Area where vessel divides into two branches

Bruit

Vibration sound associated with turbulent flow

Carotid Body Tumor

Type of paraganglioma where there is a growth in the blood vessels near the carotid arteries

Cephalad

Towards the head

Contralateral

Opposite side

Diplopia

Double vision

Dissection

Tearing of vascular tissue alongside vessel wall

Endarterectomy

Surgery that removes plaque buildup from inside a carotid artery in the neck

Helical flow

Swirling of blood flow

Hemisphere

Half of the cerebrum

Heterogeneous Plaque

Plaque mixed with hypoechoic, hyperechoic, and isoechoic lesion, indicating soft and dense areas

Hollenhorst Plaque

Cholesterol emboli found in small blood vessels of retina

Homogeneous Plaque

Plaque with similar appearance to one; hypoechoic, hyperechoic, or isoechoic

Intimal Hyperplasia

Abnormal accumulation of cells in the vascular tunica intima

Infarction

Obstruction of blood supply to an organ

Ipsilateral

Same side

Intracranial

Within cranium

Neointimal Hyperplasia

Leads to thickened arterial walls and decreased lumen space

Neurologic Deficit

Abnormal neurological function of body

Retrograde

Backwards flow

Subclavian Steal Syndrome

Diversion of blood flow or retrograde flow (vertebral or internal thoracic) where the blood that is supposed to go to the brain, goes to the arm due to stenosis of subclavian artery

Syncope

Temporary loss of consciousness due to insufficient blood flow to brain

Systole

Contraction of the heart to pump blood into aorta & pulmonary artery

Tortuous

Twisting or distortion

Turbulence

Disruption of laminar flow

Vaso Vasorum

Small blood vessels that supply or drain the walls of larger arteries and connect with a branch of the same vessel to form a network of small vessels