CT SCAN IMAGES OF STROKE IN COVID 19 PATIENT DURING PANDEMIC

Abstract

Objectives: Neurological manifestation in Covid-19 patients can include anosmia, seizures, ataxia, headache, dizziness, muscle aches. Stroke is one of the complications that can be caused by Covid 19 infection. The mechanism that occurs in general, is caused by an increased hypercoagulopathy state, vasculitis, and direct invasion by the Covid 19 virus. This complication will increase the morbidity and mortality rates in patients with Covid 19. Head CT scan is the main tool for diagnosing stroke in emergency conditions, it can provide useful information during a pandemic, because it provides fast images and high accuracy. Understanding the shape and type of stroke will certainly help in reducing morbidity and mortality in stroke patients with Covid 19. Method: This study is a descriptive observational retrospective study with a cross-sectional design from June 2020 to March 2022 in stroke patients with positive RT PCR who performed a head CT Scan at Unair Hospital Surabaya. Result: Stroke patients with positive RT PCR were 70 patients. The highest incidence of stroke was stroke infarcts affecting small vessels, amounting to 58 (83%) cases, most in the basal ganglia area (24%) and cortica subcortical frontal lobe (24%), stroke affecting large vessels as many as 6 (8.5%) cases, with the most locations involving the Middle Cerebral Artery (MCA) (42.8%) and Posterior Cerebral Artery (PCA) (42.8%), hemorrhagic stroke 6 (8.5%) cases. The incidence of multiple area infarction was 39 (62%) cases, while single area was 24 (38%) cases. Conclusion: Stroke in patients with Covid 19 mostly involved small vessels, followed by strokes affecting large vessel and hemorrhagic strokes.