Final seminar held for spring course in acute stroke

The seminar was led by Håkan Almqvist, Consultant Neuroradiologist, CAPIO S:T GÖRANS SJUKHUS AB (right), Åsa Kuntze Söderqvist, Consultant, PhD, Neuroradiologist and Neurointerventionist. ME Neuroradiology, Karolinska University Hospital (middle), and Michael Mazya, Consultant, Associate Professor, Neurologist. ME Neurology, Karolinska University Hospital (left).
 
“I think it was a successful course. We had participants from many parts of the country and had a good discussion where many were active. The fact that the course participants are radiologists, neurologists and internal medicine specialists favours the discussions and increases the understanding between participants with different specialties about how they think and make decisions about treatment,” said Åsa Kuntze Söderqvist afterwards.
 
Håkan Almqvist said that part of the discussion was about how the investigation is organised in different regions affects how an acute stroke investigation is carried out. Some regions have purchased automatic interpretation of CT perfusion, but not Region Stockholm, for example, where the distances are shorter, and the triage of patients is slightly different. However, Karolinska has extensive experience of CT perfusion, which has been used for about 20 years in connection with acute stroke investigations.
 
“The future AI support in stroke investigations may be based on a CT/MR perfusion to find even more peripheral vascular occlusions, provided that endovascular reperfusion has a positive effect. This course provides the basics of what perfusion disorders in the anterior circulation look like and there are some pitfalls. There are some difficulties in stroke investigations, especially in the posterior circulation where perfusion software works poorly today. Therefore, it is good if many have attended courses dealing with acute stroke”.
 
A new round of courses will be held in autumn of 2025.