[Symptoms, risk factors, and etiology of transient ischemic attack and stroke].
BACKGROUND
It is unclear whether clinical signs and symptoms differ in the presentation of transient ischemic attack (TIA) and stroke, apart from temporal dynamics.


METHODS
Signs and symptoms of patients diagnosed with TIA or stroke were prospectively collected and compared by means of an age-adjusted logistic regression analysis. Risk factors, prehospital medication, and diagnostic workup were obtained from the charts.


RESULTS
Four hundred five patients diagnosed with stroke (68+/-12 years old, 45% female) and 143 diagnosed with TIA (64+/-14 years old, 48% female) were included. Signs and symptoms of patients with TIA were less often "classic" such as paresis (48% vs 71%, P<0.001) or sensory loss (38% vs 48%, P=0.03). The etiology of TIA was more often classified as "undetermined" (57% vs 46%, P<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Transient ischemic attack needs special attention and intensive diagnostic workup, because it bears a considerable risk of death and disability but presents less often with classic signs and symptoms and its etiology often remains undetermined.
Nolte
C H
CH
Klinik und Poliklinik für Neurologie der Charité, Universitätsmedizin in Berlin. christian.nolte@charite.de
Müller-Nordhorn
J
J
Jungehülsing
G J
GJ
Rossnagel
K
K
Reich
A
A
Klein
M
M
Willich
S N
SN
Villringer
A
A
D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*