Which condition can cause strokes and may be repaired with a stent?

• A. Atherosclerosis
• B. Embolism
• C. Fibromuscular dysplasia
• D. Syncope

Answer: (A)

Arterial narrowing from atherosclerosis can lead to ischemic strokes by reducing blood flow to brain tissue or by sending unstable plaque fragments into the vessel. A stent is used to reopen and keep that narrowed artery open, typically in the carotid or intracranial vessels, which directly addresses the fixed stenosis that can cause stroke in this scenario. Embolism causes stroke from a traveling clot rather than a steady narrowing, so the primary fixes are clot-busting therapies or thrombectomy, not stenting of a narrowed vessel. Fibromuscular dysplasia can cause stenosis and might be treated with angioplasty or stenting in some cases, but the most classic and common scenario described here is atherosclerotic carotid or intracranial stenosis. Syncope is not a stroke mechanism and isn’t treated with a stent.