[Practical considerations in dealing with cerebral ischemia (author's transl)].

The handling of patients with cerebral ischemia is reviewed, taking into consideration recent concepts regarding etiopathogenesis along with new diagnostic and therapeutic methods. A particularly important new diagnostic method is computerized axial tomography. The subject is divided into four sections in order to present a practical outline. The first section deals with the arterial circulatory system. Evaluation of patients with arteriosclerosis of the vessels in the neck and/or intracranial are reviewed in some detail, according to whether the clinical manifestation was transitory ischemia, progressive cerebral infarction, or complete cerebral infarction. Emphasis is placed on the proper selection of diagnostic tests and application of therapy in each case. The second part is a discussion of the changes in arterial blood pressure in the etipathogenesis of stroke. Arterial hypertension is an important factor in production of small infarctions. In the third section a review is made of the role of the heart in transitory ischemia and as a cause of cerebral infarctions. Lastly, the hematologic factors which might contribute to the development of cerebral ischemia, along with the other causes, are mentioned.