Therapy of ischemic cerebrovascular disease.

Major advances are being made in our understanding of the pathophysiology of ischemic stroke. In the past 25 years anticoagulation, carotid endarterectomy, and antiplatelet aggregation agents, along with less well-accepted therapies, have been introduced for the management of this complex disorder. Also, noninvasive diagnostic methods have been developed for evaluating these patients. This article reviews the pathophysiology of cerebral ischemia and the data on the effectiveness of the various therapies advocated for its management.