Anterior view of the brain with enlarged views of a vessel showing vasculitis resulting in an ischemic stroke. Vasculature in this view includes the anterior cerebral, anterior communicating, posterior communicating, superior cerebellar, external carotid, internal carotid, common carotid, middle cerebral, posterior cerebral, basilar, and vertebral arteries. Vasculitis causes swelling of the arterial walls, slowing blood flow. Severe vasculitis shows a complete blockage of blood flow, starving the surrounding brain tissue of oxygen (ischemia).
