Site and Rate of Occlusive Disease in Cervicocerebral Arteries: A CT Angiography Study of 2209 Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke.

CTA in patients with acute ischemic stroke shows large individual variations of occlusion sites and degrees. Approximately half of such patients have no visible occlusive disease, and 40% imaged within 6 hours show large, proximal segment occlusions amenable to endovascular therapy. These findings show the importance of early noninvasive imaging of extra- and intracranial arteries for identifying occlusive disease, planning recanalization strategies, and designing interventional trials.