title: Transient global amnesia heralding basilar artery thrombosis.
abstract: The cause of transient global amnesia (TGA) remains controversial. Focal cerebral ischemia, seizure, venous congestion, and migraine have all been proposed as underlying mechanisms. We describe a patient presenting with typical TGA who two days later developed a posterior circulation stroke due to basilar artery occlusion. He was treated successfully with intra-arterial thrombolytic therapy. Shortly thereafter, he had recurrent basilar artery thrombosis and jugular vein thrombosis, and was found to have a mucinous adenocarcinoma believed to be causing a hypercoagulable state. We believe this case supports the hypothesis that TGA can on occasion be caused by cerebral ischemia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Gregory F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Robert W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Hurst
authors.forename: Scott E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Kasner
authors.forename: Brett L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Cucchiara
mesh_terms: D020236:Amnesia, Transient Global / Q000209:etiology*; D001488:Basilar Artery; D006801:Humans; D020767:Intracranial Thrombosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged