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Krembil Neuroscience Centre (KNC)
Neurovascular Disease - A-Z Glossary
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This is not an exhaustive list, but includes some of the terminology commonly used in the assessment and treatment of neuro-oncology disorders:
Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM)
A tangle of abnormal and poorly formed arteries and veins that can be found anywhere in the body. They are very rare and occur in less than 1% of the general population. AVMs that occur in the coverings of the brain are called dural AVMs.
Cerebral aneurysm
A bulge or balloon like dilatation/swelling of the wall of a blood vessel in the brain. It is a weakening in the wall with a propensity to rupture.
Dysphagia
Difficulty in swallowing. This symptom usually indicates tumors involving the lower brain stem/cranial nerves but can also occur with disorders such as stroke, movement disorders, and arteriovenous malformations.
Aphasia
Impaired language with difficulty or inability to put words in their proper order. A symptom that may occur with tumors located in the dominant cerebral hemisphere, particularly the temporal and parietal lobe, but also following strokes and other brain disorders.
Hemorrhagic stroke
A hemorrhagic stroke is caused by bleeding in or around the brain due to a ruptured blood vessel.
Ischemic Stroke
A stroke caused by a clot that interrupts blood flow to the brain.
Neurologist
A physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders and diseases of the brain, spine and other parts of the nervous system.
Neurosurgeon
A surgeon who specializes in the diagnosis, treatment and surgical management of disorders and diseases of the brain, spine and other parts of the nervous system.
Stroke
A sudden loss of brain function. It is caused by the interruption of flow of blood to the brain (ischemic stroke) or the rupture of blood vessels in the brain (hemorrhagic stroke).
Vascular malformation
An abnormal collection of blood vessels. They are two types of vascular malformations: slow flow malformations, involving only the veins or lymph vessels; and high flow, involving the arteries and veins joined together.
For more additional terms and access to dictionaries, visit UHN Health Information References.
