Anatomical approach

The clinical features of a stroke are heavily dependent upon the artery in which the lesion occurs.

The important vascular territories to consider are:

• internal carotid, forming:
  • anterior cerebral artery
  • middle cerebral artery
    
    
• vertebrobasilar system, forming:
  • posterior cerebral artery

It may also be useful to consider the brain structures infarcted e.g. brainstem.

Note that there are many variations in the anatomy of the blood supply of the brain - for example in the circle of Willis, such that in many patients collateral blood supply may be non-existent.