As alternative blood supply routes, collateral blood vessels can play a crucial role in determining patient outcomes in acute and chronic intracranial occlusive diseases. Studies have shown that increased collateral circulation can improve functional outcomes and reduce mortality, particularly in those who are not eligible for reperfusion therapy. This article aims to discuss the anatomy and physiology of collateral circulation, describe current imaging tools used to measure collateral circulation, and identify the factors that influence collateral status.
Keywords: Cerebral blood flow; Collateral status; DAWN; DIFFUSE3; Ischemic stroke; Revascularization; Thrombectomy.
© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.