title: Lesions masquerading as acute stroke.
abstract: Rapid and accurate recognition of lesions masquerading as acute stroke is important. Any incorrect or delayed diagnosis of stroke mimics will not only increase the risk of being exposed to unnecessary and possibly dangerous interventional therapies, but will also delay proper treatment. In this article, written from a neuroradiologist's perspective, we classified these lesions masquerading as acute stroke into three groups: lesions that may have "normal imaging," lesions that are "symptom mimics" but on imaging clearly not a stroke, and lesions that are "symptom and imaging mimics" with imaging findings similar to stroke. We focused the review on neuroimaging findings of the latter two groups ending with a suggestion for a diagnostic approach in the form of an algorithm.
authors.affiliation: Division of Diagnostic & Interventional Neuroradiology, Department of Imaging Sciences, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York 14642-8638, USA.
authors.forename: Xiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jeevak
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Almast
authors.forename: Sven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ekholm
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000465:Algorithms; D001921:Brain / Q000002:abnormalities; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D005910:Glioma / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008579:Meningioma / Q000378:metabolism; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D010477:Perfusion; D020521:Stroke / Q000628:therapy*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000473:pathology