A stroke caused by fatty deposits gradually occluding arterial walls, reducing blood flow to the brain, is which type?

• A. Thrombotic stroke caused by atherosclerosis
• B. Embolic stroke caused by atherosclerosis
• C. Transient ischemic attack caused by aneurysm
• D. Hemorrhagic stroke caused by aneurysm

Answer: (A)

Atherosclerosis causes fatty deposits to build up in arterial walls, narrowing the vessel and often leading to a local blood clot forming at the site. When this in-situ thrombosis blocks a brain artery, blood flow to the surrounding brain tissue is reduced or cut off, producing an ischemic stroke due to thrombosis at the affected vessel. This fits the description of a stroke caused by fatty deposits gradually occluding arteries. It’s different from an embolic stroke, where a clot travels from somewhere else to lodge in the brain, and from a hemorrhagic stroke, which results from bleeding due to an aneurysm. A transient ischemic attack is a brief, reversible ischemic event and not a full stroke from plaque-induced occlusion.