This prospective study was focused on the radiological features of stroke and the recent contribution of computerized tomographic scan (CT scan) to diagnosis of hospitalized stroke patients. All patients admitted for stroke to the Neurology Department of the Nouakchott Hospital between January 1, 1996 and June 30, 1997 were enrolled in this study. Patients were divided into two groups, i.e. CT group including patients that underwent CT scan during hospitalization and control group including patients that did not undergo CT scan for financial reasons. The etiology of stroke (35.1% of hospitalizations) was ischemic in 52% of cases and hemorrhagic in 48%. There were more men than women and mean age was 60 years for ischemic stroke versus 56 years for hemorrhagic stroke. Only 8% of patients presented documented diabetes. Deep infarction accounted for 52% of ischemic stroke including large-artery infarction in 61.2% and lacunar infarction in 38.8%. Superficial infarction usually involved the territory supplied by the superficial sylvian artery. Intraparenchymal hematomas accounted for 78% of hemorrhagic strokes in relation with the high incidence of arterial hypertension (65.2%). The most common locations were capsulo-lenticular (55%) and capsulo-thalamic (39%). Stroke-related mortality was high (20.3%) especially in patients presenting prolonged disturbances of consciousness and renal insufficiency. By allowing more accurate assessment of lesions, CT-scan improved patient management and therapeutic outcome.