Lack of evidence for arterial ischemia in transient global amnesia.
OBJECTIVE
Lesions in diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI-L) have been commonly described in transient global amnesia (TGA). We investigated a possible relationship between brain ischemia and TGA.


METHODS
Twenty-eight patients underwent transcranial and carotid Doppler ultrasonography (including microembolus detection) and MRI within 24 hours of TGA onset (including DWI, perfusion-weighted imaging and angio-MRI). MRI was repeated at 48 to 96 hours (21 patients) and 30 days (18 patients).


RESULTS
Punctate DWI-L were observed in 16 patients (57%) and were not attributable to perfusion abnormalities, arterial stenoses or underlying cardioembolic disease. MRIs performed between 12 and 72 hours showed the highest frequency of DWI-L (88%; P<0.001). No pathological findings were observed at 30 days.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that TGA is not related to cerebral arterial ischemia.
Toledo
Manuel
M
Pujadas
Francesc
F
Grivé
Elisenda
E
Alvarez-Sabin
José
J
Quintana
Manuel
M
Rovira
Alex
A
D000368:Aged; D020236:Amnesia, Transient Global / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017585:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial