lacunar infarction
Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Encyclopedia.
Related to lacunar infarction: Lacunar Syndrome
Segen's Medical Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.
lacunar infarction
A small stroke deep within the brain (as in the internal capsule, basal ganglia, thalamus, or pons) caused by damage to or a blockage of a tiny penetrating artery. Lacunar infarctions are associated with a kind of vascular damage caused by chronic high blood pressure called lipohyalinosis. They may be asymptomatic, showing up only on brain imaging, or may produce pure motor, pure sensory, ataxic, or mixed motor and sensory symptoms. Synonym: lacunar stroke
See also: infarction
Medical Dictionary, © 2009 Farlex and Partners