If a single MCA region shows ischemia on CT (for example, the insular region), how many points are subtracted from the ASPECTS total?

If a single MCA region shows ischemia on CT (for example, the insular region), how many points are subtracted from the ASPECTS total?

• A. 0
• B. 1
• C. 2
• D. 3

Answer: (B)

ASPECTS uses a 10-point scale to quantify early ischemic changes in the MCA territory on CT. There are ten regions considered, and each region starts with 1 point if normal. If a region shows early ischemic change, you subtract 1 point for that region. So, when a single region, such as the insula, is affected, you subtract 1 point. The total drops from 10 to 9. The important idea is that each involved region costs one point, and the insula is simply one of those regions.

ASPECTS uses a 10-point scale to quantify early ischemic changes in the MCA territory on CT. There are ten regions considered, and each region starts with 1 point if normal. If a region shows early ischemic change, you subtract 1 point for that region. So, when a single region, such as the insula, is affected, you subtract 1 point. The total drops from 10 to 9. The important idea is that each involved region costs one point, and the insula is simply one of those regions.