Evolving concepts of stroke and stroke management in South Africa: Quo vadis?

Stroke is traditionally defined as a neurological deficit attributed to an acute focal injury of the central nervous system (CNS), which occurs on a vascular basis. Stroke subtypes include ischaemic stroke/cerebral infarction, intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) and subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH). Stroke is a major cause of disability and death worldwide. Despite its global impact, the term stroke is not consistently defined in clinical practice, in clinical research or in assessment of the public's health. Advances in basic science, neuropathology, and neuroimaging have improved the understanding of ischaemia, infarction, and haemorrhage in the CNS. [1] Updated definitions of stroke and stroke subtypes are provided in Box 1.