Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA) Signs and Symptoms

Common Presentations of CVA

Numbness or sensory loss on one side of the body is a common symptom of CVA, affecting patients 1
Aphasia (impaired language production or comprehension) is a sign of CVA, occurring in patients 2
Difficulty understanding others' speech is a symptom of CVA, affecting patients 3

Visual field defects such as homonymous hemianopia (loss of vision in the same half of both eyes) are a symptom of CVA, occurring in patients 2
Diplopia (double vision) is a symptom of CVA, affecting patients 2
Monocular blindness affecting one eye is a symptom of CVA, occurring in patients 3

Hemispatial neglect (inability to respond to stimuli on one side) is a symptom of CVA, affecting patients 2
Ataxia (lack of coordination) is a symptom of CVA, occurring in patients 2
Vertigo or dizziness is a symptom of CVA, affecting patients 2
Altered level of consciousness in severe cases, particularly with deep cerebral venous system involvement, is a symptom of CVA, occurring in patients 4

Symptoms typically develop suddenly and may progress over minutes to hours in ischemic stroke, affecting patients 5
Focal neurological deficits corresponding to the affected brain region are a symptom of ischemic stroke, occurring in patients 5
Headache may be present but is less common than in hemorrhagic stroke, affecting patients with ischemic stroke 5
Seizures occur in approximately 40% of patients with cerebral venous thrombosis, a type of ischemic stroke 4

Often presents with more severe headache that may have a thunderclap quality in hemorrhagic stroke, affecting patients 5
More likely to cause decreased level of consciousness in hemorrhagic stroke, occurring in patients 5
Nausea and vomiting are more common in hemorrhagic stroke, affecting patients 5
May have signs of increased intracranial pressure such as papilledema in hemorrhagic stroke, occurring in patients 5

Symptoms may be acute (onset <48 hours), subacute (48 hours to 30 days), or chronic (>30 days) in CVA, affecting patients 4
In cerebral venous thrombosis, symptoms often progress more slowly than in arterial stroke, with a median delay from symptom onset to hospital admission of 4 days, affecting patients 4
Transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) have the same symptoms as stroke but resolve within 24 hours (typically within 15 minutes), affecting patients 3

Early recognition of stroke symptoms is critical as treatment efficacy diminishes with time, according to the American Heart Association 6
Symptoms may be masked in the periprocedural phase after cardiovascular interventions, affecting patients 2
Stroke symptoms may differ based on which cerebral artery is affected (anterior vs. posterior circulation), occurring in patients 3