LAUSR

Ischemic stroke occurs in a significant subset of patients with blunt traumatic cerebrovascular injury (TCVI). The patients are victims of motor vehicle crashes, assaults, or other high-energy collisions and suffer ischemic stroke because of injury to the extracranial carotid or vertebral arteries. Increasing numbers of patients with TCVI are being identified, largely due to the widening use of computed tomography angiography (CTA) for screening trauma patients. These patients are particularly difficult to manage because they often suffer numerous additional injuries including orthopedic, torso, and head injuries. Presently, there is no consensus about optimal management. Most literature about TCVI and stroke has been published in trauma, general surgery, and neurosurgery journals; because these patients are managed primarily by trauma surgeons, patients with stroke due to TCVI have been effectively hidden from view of neurologists. This review is intended to bring this clinical entity to the attention of clinicians and investigators with specific expertise in neurology and stroke.