Are strokes always visible on xrays or tests when you have one?

Question

Are strokes always visible on xrays or tests when you have one? At one time, the doctor at the ER said my dad may have suffered a mini stroke but they could not see it. I hear of this often. Is it possible to suffer a mini stroke and not have it to the degree you tbink you need to go to the ER, because you think it was something else. Hope this makes sense.

Serious Answers Only Please.

Answer 1

Strokes are not always visible. The reason is simple. A clot will obstruct a vessel and supply of blood will be interrupted to a certain regional area, which will in turn cause necrosis (tissue death). In diagnostic imaging, strokes are usually detected if there is some form of observable tissue death. Tissue death occurs after a while without blood supply, so new/ fresh strokes where tissue death hasn't yet occured are very hard to detect.

Answer 2

No, strokes are not always visible on x-rays.  The mini stroke that that the ER doctor was talking about is called a TIA (transient ischemic attack).  These mini strokes are warning of that a big stroke could be coming in the future.

I found out about this when my grandma was alive and was having some symptoms that were most likely related to these (she died 8 years ago).