Stroke Diagnosis

CT Scan

MRI

Angiogram

How is stroke diagnosed?
The most important clues that would make a doctor think of a stroke are the symptoms a child is experiencing and how the child looks when he or she is examined by the doctor. If a doctor suspects that a child’s symptoms might be caused by a stroke, there are several ways to confirm the diagnosis. One of the most common tests doctors use is a head CT, which is a special type of X-ray that takes a picture of the brain. A child getting a head CT done just has to lie still for a few seconds while the CT scanner takes a picture of the brain. A head CT does not hurt, and does not take a long time to perform.

Another test is magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which takes a picture of the brain without using X-rays. An MRI takes much more detailed pictures than a CT, and it is a much slower test. Children getting an MRI done have to lie still for much longer than children getting a head CT, although it is a painless procedure.

If doctors need to take a closer look at the arteries that feed the brain, there are three tests they can use. A transcranial Doppler uses ultrasound waves, or sound waves we can’t hear, to look at the blood flowing through the arteries in the brain. For this test, a doctor holds a small ultrasound machine up against a child’s head for a few minutes in order to take a picture of the arteries in the brain. A transcranial Doppler is not noisy, and does not hurt. An angiogram is a test that uses X-rays to take more detailed pictures of the arteries in the neck and head.but the X-ray itself does not hurt.

Next: How is a stroke treated?

Last Updated: June 13, 2005