Summary
Cranial computed tomography of 284 patients with transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) and without previous stroke was evaluated. The sample population included patients with carotid and/or vertebrobasilar TIAs. Computed tomography revealed cerebral infarction in 34 patients, including 5 with multiple infarctions. The lesion location was consistent with TIA symptoms in 16 patients. In another 16 patients, however, the lesion location did not correspond to the TIA symptoms; these lesions were attributed to previous silent infarctions. Two patients with multiple infarctions had both symptomatic and asymptomatic lesions. Age and carotid stenosis were each significantly related to an increased chance of detecting cerebral infarction (either symptomatic or asymptomatic). No significant relationship between race, gender, hypertension, diabetes, cardiac disease, or smoking and the incidence of infarction was found by either univariate or multivariate analyses.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Araki G, Mihara H, Shizuka M, Yunoki K, Nagata K, Yamaguchi K, Mizukami M, Kawase T, Tazawa T (1983) CT and arteriographic comparison of patients with transient ischemic attacks — correlation with small infarction of basal ganglia. Stroke 14:276–280
Awad I, Modic M, Little JR, Furlan AJ, Weinstein M (1986) Focal parenchymal lesions in transient ischemic attacks: correlation of computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. Stroke 17:399–401
Berguer R, Sieggreen MY, Lazo A, Hodakowski GT (1986) The silent brain infarct in carotid surgery. J Vasc Surg 3:442–447
Biller J, Laster DW, Howard G, Toole JF, McHenry LC (1982) Cranial computerized tomography in carotid artery transient ischemic attacks. Eur Neurol 21:98–101
Bogousslavsky J, Regli F (1984) Cerebral infarction with transient signs (CITS): do TIA's correspond to small deep infarcts in internal carotid artery occlusion? Stroke 15:536–539
Bogousslavsky J, Regli F (1985) Cerebral infarct in apparent transient ischemic attack. Neurology 35:1501–1503
Calandre L, Gomara S, Bermejo F, Millan JM, Del Pozo G (1984) Clinical CT correlations in TIA, RIND, and strokes with minimum residuum. Stroke 15:663–666
Davalos J, Matias-Guiu J, Torrent O, Vilaseca J, Codina A (1988) Computed tomography in reversible ischemic attacks: clinical and prognostic correlations in a prospective study. J Neurol 235:155–158
Grigg MJ, Papadakis K, Nicolaides AN, Al-Kutoubi A, Williams MA, Deacon DFS, Sonecha T, Eastcott HHG (1980) The significance of cerebral infarction and atrophy in patients with amaurosis fugax and transient ischemic attack in relation to internal carotid artery stenosis. J Vasc Surg 2:215–222
Heyman A, Leviton A, Millikan CH, Nefzger MD, Ostfeld AM, Sahs AL, Stallones RA, Whisnant JP (1974) Transient focal cerebral ischemia: epidemiological and clinical aspects. Stroke 5:277–287
Houser OW, Campbell JK (1981) Computed tomography in cerebrovascular disease: influences of morphology, topography, clinical factors and temporal profile. In: Moossy J, Reinmuth OM (eds) Cerebrovascular diseases, Raven Press, New York, pp 181–188
Howard G, Toole JF, Frye-Pierson J, Hinshelwood LC (1987) Factors influencing the survival of 451 transient ischemic attack patients. Stroke 18:552–557
Kinkel WR, Jacobs L (1976) Computerized axial transverse tomography in cerebrovascular disease. Neurology 26:924–930
Ladurner G, Sager WD, Iliff LD, Lechner H (1979) A correlation of clinical findings and CT in ischemic cerebrovascular disease. Eur Neurol 18:281–288
Lo LY, Ford CS, McKinney WM, Toole JF (1986) Asymptomatic bruit, carotid and vertebrobasilar transient ischemic attacks — a clinical and ultrasonic correlation. Stroke 17:65–68
Perrone P, Candelise L, Scotti G, De Grandi C, Scialfa G (1979) CT evaluation in patients with transient ischemic attack. Correlation between clinical and angiographic findings. Eur Neurol 18:217–221
Ricotta JJ, Ouriel K, Green RM, DeWeese JA (1985) Use of computerized cerebral tomography in selection of patients for elective and urgent carotid endarterectomy. Ann Surg 202:783–787
Turnbull IW, Bannister CM (1985) CT observations on the natural history of asymptomatic cerebral infarction following transient ischemic attacks. Neurol Res 7:190–193
Waxman SG, Toole JF (1983) Temporal profile resembling TIA in the setting of cerebral infarction. Stroke 14:433–437
Weisberg LA (1986) Computerized tomographic abnormalities in patients with hemispheric transient ischemic attacks. South Med J 79:804–807
Zukowski AJ, Nicolaides AN, Lewis RT, Mansfield AO, Williams MA, Helmis E, Malouf GM, Thomas D, Al-Kutoubi A, Kyprianou P, Eastcott HHG (1984) The correlation between carotid plaque ulceration and cerebral infarction seen on CT scan. J Vasc Surg 1:782–786
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Murros, K.E., Evans, G.W., Toole, J.F. et al. Cerebral infarction in patients with transient ischemic attacks. J Neurol 236, 182–184 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00314339
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00314339