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Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
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Advances in stroke treatment. Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). Source: Wellcome Collection.
Stroke is the leading cause of disability in adults. A major trigger for stroke is atheroma; the 'furring up' of arteries supplying blood to the brain. Atheroma may become unstable and burst, triggering blood clots to form and block the blood flow through the arteries, resulting in a stroke. Currently clinical investigations to identify atheroma at risk of rupture are limited. This image demonstrates a potential solution. It combines imaging of the main arteries to the brain (the carotid arteries) using computed tomography (CT) with superimposed positron emission tomography (PET) that uses radioactive markers that highlight unstable atheroma as a 'hotspot' (here represented by a green area in the patient's right carotid artery). This may allow screening and early treatment for individuals at risk of stroke, improved prediction of recovery and development of new treatments. The image represents a digital reconstruction of a CT scan with a super-imposed PET image (the tracer uptake representing disease forms a 'hotspot' that can be localised to an anatomical area). The video shows the 3D reconstruction of the image and demonstrates how the pathological area can be localised and may form a therapeutic target. Digital artwork/Computer graphic 26.02.2015