title: What is a minor stroke?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The term "minor stroke" is often used; however a consensus definition is lacking. We explored the relationship of 6 "minor stroke" definitions and outcome and tested their validity in subgroups of patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 760 consecutive patients with acute ischemic strokes were classified according to the following definitions: A, score < or = 1 on every National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) item and normal consciousness; B, lacunar-like syndrome; C, motor deficits with or without sensory deficits; D, NIHSS < or = 9 excluding those with aphasia, neglect, or decreased consciousness; E, NIHSS < or = 9; and F, NIHSS < or = 3. Short-term outcome was considered favorable when patients were discharged home, and favorable medium-term outcome was defined as a modified Rankin Scale score of < or = 2 at 3 months. The following subgroup analyses were performed by definition: sex, age, anterior versus posterior and right versus left hemispheric stroke, and early (0 to 6 hours) versus late admission (6 to 24 hours) to the hospital.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Short-term and medium-term outcomes were most favorable in patients with definition A (74% and 90%, respectively) and F (71% and 90%, respectively). Patients with definition C and anterior circulation strokes were more likely to be discharged home than patients with posterior circulation strokes (P=0.021). The medium-term outcome of older patients with definition E was less favorable compared with the outcome of younger ones (P=0.001), whereas patients with definition A, D, and F did not show different outcomes in any subgroup.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients fulfilling definition A and F had best short-term and medium-term outcomes. They would be best suited to the definition of "minor stroke."
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Inselspital, University Hospital Bern and University of Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Urs
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baumgartner
authors.forename: Marcel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arnold
authors.forename: Krassen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nedeltchev
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gralla
authors.forename: Gian Marco
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: De Marchis
authors.forename: Liliane
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kappeler
authors.forename: Marie-Luise
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Mono
authors.forename: Caspar
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brekenfeld
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schroth
authors.forename: Heinrich P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Mattle
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D016239:MEDLINE; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D020521:Stroke / Q000145:classification* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents