Ischemic core refers to which of the following?

Ischemic core refers to which of the following?

• A. The area of brain tissue that is irreversibly damaged during an ischemic stroke.
• B. The area at risk but salvageable during ischemia.
• C. The region of active blood flow.
• D. The boundary between dead and alive tissue.

Answer: (A)

The ischemic core is the tissue that has already suffered irreversible injury during an ischemic stroke. When blood flow drops, brain cells can’t produce enough energy, ions fall out of balance, cells swell, and eventually die in the area with the most severe perfusion deficit. This region cannot be saved, even if blood flow is restored later. Surrounding it is the ischemic penumbra—tissue that is underperfused and at risk but still viable, and potentially salvageable with timely reperfusion. The option describing salvageable tissue points to the penumbra, not the core. A region of active blood flow is normal tissue, not ischemic core. The boundary between dead and alive tissue isn’t a precise, standard term for this concept.

The ischemic core is the tissue that has already suffered irreversible injury during an ischemic stroke. When blood flow drops, brain cells can’t produce enough energy, ions fall out of balance, cells swell, and eventually die in the area with the most severe perfusion deficit. This region cannot be saved, even if blood flow is restored later. Surrounding it is the ischemic penumbra—tissue that is underperfused and at risk but still viable, and potentially salvageable with timely reperfusion. The option describing salvageable tissue points to the penumbra, not the core. A region of active blood flow is normal tissue, not ischemic core. The boundary between dead and alive tissue isn’t a precise, standard term for this concept.