Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)
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Basics
Description
- TIA – an episode of reversible neurologic deficit caused by a temporary decrease in blood flow to an area of the central nervous system (CNS)
- Classically described as symptoms lasting <24 hr, but most TIA symptoms resolve in <1 hr
- Some patients have transient neurological symptoms, but will have infarction on imaging – called “stroke with transient symptoms”
- A warning for stroke, as 12–30% of strokes will be preceded by TIA
Etiology
- Transient decrease in perfusion to an area of the CNS, which can be caused by:
- Thrombosis in medium to large arteries with atherosclerosis (10%)
- Intracranial small vessel disease (15%)
- Embolic cause from the heart (35%)
- Miscellaneous, including arterial dissection, vasculitis, and hypercoagulable states (5%)
- No clear predisposing vascular cause (25–50%)
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Basics
Description
- TIA – an episode of reversible neurologic deficit caused by a temporary decrease in blood flow to an area of the central nervous system (CNS)
- Classically described as symptoms lasting <24 hr, but most TIA symptoms resolve in <1 hr
- Some patients have transient neurological symptoms, but will have infarction on imaging – called “stroke with transient symptoms”
- A warning for stroke, as 12–30% of strokes will be preceded by TIA
Etiology
- Transient decrease in perfusion to an area of the CNS, which can be caused by:
- Thrombosis in medium to large arteries with atherosclerosis (10%)
- Intracranial small vessel disease (15%)
- Embolic cause from the heart (35%)
- Miscellaneous, including arterial dissection, vasculitis, and hypercoagulable states (5%)
- No clear predisposing vascular cause (25–50%)
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