Arteriovenous malformations (AVMS) are tangles of dilated, thin-walled blood vessels that occur anywhere within the brain or on the dura mater (the covering of the brain).
A brain aneurysm, also called a cerebral or intracranial aneurysm, is an abnormal bulging outward of one of the arteries in the brain. This may be due to a weakness or injury to one or more of the three layers of tissue in the vessel wall.
Carotid stenosis is the narrowing of the arteries in the neck because of fat and cholesterol deposits (plaque) within the carotid arteries. The narrowing increases the chance of a blockage, resulting in stroke when the brain does not get a sufficient blood supply. When symptoms like slurred speech and blurry vision occur, immediate medical help is necessary.
Vascular stenosis is when an artery is blocked because of plaque or another condition. When this happens in the brain, it's called cerebral vascular stenosis or intracranial vascular stenosis.
There are two major types of stroke: hemorrhagic and ischemic. A hemorrhagic stroke refers to bleeding occurring in the brain or in the space surrounding the brain (subarachnoid hemorrhage). An ischemic stroke occurs when there is occlusion of a blood vessel, resulting in lack of blood supply to an area of the brain and death of brain tissue (infarction).
