Glossary of Terms

You may hear many new terms while being treated at the Stroke and Cerebrovascular Center. Below are some of the most common words you’ll hear. If you have any questions about these or other new terms, please talk to your doctor. 

Aneurysm 
A weak area in the wall of a blood vessel that balloons outward and forms a thin-walled sac or bubble 

Aneurysm Recanalization 
A previously treated aneurysm that refills or regrows and may need to be treated again 

Angiogram 
A x-ray test that looks at blood vessels. It involved putting a catheter (long plastic tube) in a patient's groin (femoral artery) and using it to inject a dye into the vessels that are being examined. 

Cerebral  
Related to the brain 

Coils 
A medical device made of long strands of very thin, coiled wire, which help an aneurysm clot. The coils are put into the aneurysm by an electrical current 

Computed Tomographic Angiography (CTA)  
A diagnostic test that uses x-rays from many angles to make images of a part of the body 

Contrast 
A liquid that is injected in blood vessels to allow your doctor to see the blood vessels or other parts of the body they are examining using x-rays, CT or MRI 

Diagnostic Cerebral Angiogram  
A test used to find issues in the blood vessels of the brain. It uses a small tube (catheter) that goes from the leg blood vessel into the blood vessel of the neck and injects dye so your doctor can see the blood flow. 

Embolization 
Blocking a blood vessel, aneurysm, or AVM with a material (either coils, particles, gel foam) to reduce or stop blood from flowing into it 

Endovascular  
A minimally invasive approach to diagnose or treat problems with blood vessels. Endovascular procedures are done through a small incision in an artery, and tiny tools are used to treat problems with blood vessels, from inside the blood vessel.  

Hemorrhage  
Loss of blood from a damaged blood vessel 

Interventional Neuroradiology (INR) / Interventional Neurology / Endovascular Neurosurgery  
A specialty that addresses problems of the blood vessels in the brain using treatment techniques from inside the blood vessel (endovascular treatment). This includes procedures in the brain (intracranial), outside the brain (outside the skull, above the heart), and blood vessel problems related to the spinal cord. 

Ischemia  
When an area of the brain doesn’t get enough blood and oxygen. It may be caused by something blocking blood flow (like a clot, a spasm that narrows arteries, or atherosclerotic disease)  

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)  
A noninvasive test that helps your doctor diagnose a condition, as well as helps them see how your disease or injury is responding to treatment. MRI can accurately show your doctor the differences between normal and abnormal tissues in your body. 

Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA)  
This test uses MRI to look at blood vessels (arteries) in the head or neck 

Stenosis  
Narrowing of a blood vessel 

Stroke  
Sudden loss of strength, sensation, and speech caused by something blocking or rupturing a blood vessel in the brain.  

Thrombus  
A blood clot 

Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) 
A brief period where part of the brain doesn’t get enough blood or oxygen. It causes temporary slurring of speech, trouble talking, loss of strength, loss of vision, numbness, or paralysis. This is sometimes called a “mini-stroke” and can be a sign that you’ll have a more serious stroke.