Stroke is one of the most common illnesses causing functional impairment and disability. According to American Stroke Association data, ischemic stroke accounts for 87 percent of all strokes, while hemorrhagic stroke accounts for the rest. Lacunar strokes, a type of ischemic stroke, are small and located in non-cortical areas.
Lacunar infarctions are caused by the occlusion of small deep penetrating branches of the cerebral vessels from the circle of Willis, including branches from the middle cerebral artery, anterior cerebral artery, posterior cerebral artery, or basilar artery.
Most lacunar strokes remain asymptomatic due to the involvement of small vessels causing small-sized infarcts. However, accumulating multiple small lacunar infarcts can lead to significant physical and cognitive disabilities.
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