PCOA UPDATED 2026 EXAM SCRIPT QUESTIONS AND
SOLUTIONS RATED A+
✔✔which are true and false aneurysms? - ✔✔TRUE:
fusiform, saccular, & dissection
FALSE:
pseudoaneurysm
✔✔fusiform - ✔✔most common aneurysm
✔✔saccular - ✔✔berry like aneurysm is attached tot he vascular lumen by a mouth
✔✔dissection aneurysm - ✔✔tear in the inner lining of the artery wall
✔✔mycotic aneurysm - ✔✔an existing aneurysm that becomes infected w/ bacteria
✔✔Ectactic Aneurysm - ✔✔an existing abdominal aorta- entire abd Ao becomes
aneurysmal
✔✔thrombosis/thrombus - ✔✔a blood clot trapped in a fibrin network
✔✔anastomoses - ✔✔connection of 2 hollow/tubular structures
✔✔stroke in evolution (SIE) - ✔✔stroke symptoms worsen during observation
✔✔transient ischemic attack (TIA) - ✔✔mini stroke lasting a few min to a few hours, but
less than 24hrs w/ no permanent damage
✔✔1 out of how many people get an actual; stroke w/ damage within one yr of having a
TIA - ✔✔1 out of 3
✔✔Resolving Ischemic Neurological Deficit (RIND) - ✔✔stroke lasting longer than 24
hrs to several weeks; no permanent damage; symptoms usually return to normal within
72 hrs
✔✔cerebrovascular accident - ✔✔stroke lasting longer than 24 hrs; permanent damage
✔✔the brachiocephalic artery is the first branch off the ? - ✔✔aortic arch
✔✔__% of blood from the ECA - ✔✔30
✔✔___% of blood from the ICA - ✔✔70
, ✔✔fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) - ✔✔non-atherosclerotic disease; described as
having a "string of beads" appearance (causes strokes)
✔✔is FMD most common in males? - ✔✔no, most common in females (ages: 25-50)
✔✔#1 place to see FMD - ✔✔mid-distal renal arteries
✔✔#2 place to see FMD - ✔✔ICA stent to repair
✔✔debridement - ✔✔cleaning out disease/bacteria
✔✔subclavian steal aka vertebral steal - ✔✔a disease where blood flow through the
vertebral artery is reversed due to PROXIMAL occlusion
✔✔The normal blood flow for the vertebral & basilar Arteries is ? - ✔✔Away
✔✔how much of strokes are ischemic (blockage)? - ✔✔80%
✔✔how much of strokes are hemorrhagic (bleeding)? - ✔✔20%
✔✔Where does the basilar artery terminate? - ✔✔divides into the paired posterior
cerebral arteries (PCA)
✔✔Uncontrollable stroke risk factors - ✔✔age, gender, previous CVA or TIA, congenital
✔✔controllable stroke risk factors - ✔✔hypertension, diabetes, obesity, tobacco use,
alcohol or drug abuse, hyperlipidemia
✔✔temporal arteritis - ✔✔inflammation of the temporal arteries
✔✔duplex can assist in diagnosis, but what confirms it? - ✔✔biopsy
✔✔symptoms of temporal arteritis - ✔✔headaches, tenderness in the temporal artery
✔✔suboccipital/transforminal window - ✔✔used to identify the vertebral & basilar
arteries
✔✔transtemporal window - ✔✔identifies: MCA, ACA, PCA, TICA (terminal ICA), PCoA,
ACoA
✔✔transorbital window - ✔✔identifies: ICA siphon and ophthalmic artery
✔✔submandibular window - ✔✔Identifies distal ICA
SOLUTIONS RATED A+
✔✔which are true and false aneurysms? - ✔✔TRUE:
fusiform, saccular, & dissection
FALSE:
pseudoaneurysm
✔✔fusiform - ✔✔most common aneurysm
✔✔saccular - ✔✔berry like aneurysm is attached tot he vascular lumen by a mouth
✔✔dissection aneurysm - ✔✔tear in the inner lining of the artery wall
✔✔mycotic aneurysm - ✔✔an existing aneurysm that becomes infected w/ bacteria
✔✔Ectactic Aneurysm - ✔✔an existing abdominal aorta- entire abd Ao becomes
aneurysmal
✔✔thrombosis/thrombus - ✔✔a blood clot trapped in a fibrin network
✔✔anastomoses - ✔✔connection of 2 hollow/tubular structures
✔✔stroke in evolution (SIE) - ✔✔stroke symptoms worsen during observation
✔✔transient ischemic attack (TIA) - ✔✔mini stroke lasting a few min to a few hours, but
less than 24hrs w/ no permanent damage
✔✔1 out of how many people get an actual; stroke w/ damage within one yr of having a
TIA - ✔✔1 out of 3
✔✔Resolving Ischemic Neurological Deficit (RIND) - ✔✔stroke lasting longer than 24
hrs to several weeks; no permanent damage; symptoms usually return to normal within
72 hrs
✔✔cerebrovascular accident - ✔✔stroke lasting longer than 24 hrs; permanent damage
✔✔the brachiocephalic artery is the first branch off the ? - ✔✔aortic arch
✔✔__% of blood from the ECA - ✔✔30
✔✔___% of blood from the ICA - ✔✔70
, ✔✔fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) - ✔✔non-atherosclerotic disease; described as
having a "string of beads" appearance (causes strokes)
✔✔is FMD most common in males? - ✔✔no, most common in females (ages: 25-50)
✔✔#1 place to see FMD - ✔✔mid-distal renal arteries
✔✔#2 place to see FMD - ✔✔ICA stent to repair
✔✔debridement - ✔✔cleaning out disease/bacteria
✔✔subclavian steal aka vertebral steal - ✔✔a disease where blood flow through the
vertebral artery is reversed due to PROXIMAL occlusion
✔✔The normal blood flow for the vertebral & basilar Arteries is ? - ✔✔Away
✔✔how much of strokes are ischemic (blockage)? - ✔✔80%
✔✔how much of strokes are hemorrhagic (bleeding)? - ✔✔20%
✔✔Where does the basilar artery terminate? - ✔✔divides into the paired posterior
cerebral arteries (PCA)
✔✔Uncontrollable stroke risk factors - ✔✔age, gender, previous CVA or TIA, congenital
✔✔controllable stroke risk factors - ✔✔hypertension, diabetes, obesity, tobacco use,
alcohol or drug abuse, hyperlipidemia
✔✔temporal arteritis - ✔✔inflammation of the temporal arteries
✔✔duplex can assist in diagnosis, but what confirms it? - ✔✔biopsy
✔✔symptoms of temporal arteritis - ✔✔headaches, tenderness in the temporal artery
✔✔suboccipital/transforminal window - ✔✔used to identify the vertebral & basilar
arteries
✔✔transtemporal window - ✔✔identifies: MCA, ACA, PCA, TICA (terminal ICA), PCoA,
ACoA
✔✔transorbital window - ✔✔identifies: ICA siphon and ophthalmic artery
✔✔submandibular window - ✔✔Identifies distal ICA
