title: Significance of microbleeds in patients with transient ischaemic attack.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to determine the prognostic significance of microbleeds in TIA-patients. In patients with a transient ischaemic attack (TIA), the prognostic value of microbleeds is unknown.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 176 consecutive TIA patients, the number, size, and location of microbleeds with or without acute ischaemic lesions were assessed. We compared microbleed-positive and microbleed-negative patients with regard to the end-point stroke within 3 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four of the seven patients with subsequent stroke had microbleeds. Microbleed-positive patients had a higher risk for stroke [odds ratios (OR) 8.91, 95% CI 1.87-42.51, P<0.01] than those without microbleeds. Microbleed-positive patients with accompanying acute ischaemic lesions had a higher stroke risk than those with neither an acute ischaemia nor a microbleed (OR 6.20, 95% CI 1.10-35.12; P=0.04).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Microbleeds alone or in combination with acute ischaemic lesions may increase the risk for subsequent ischaemic stroke after TIA within 3 months.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Clinical Neurology             Neuroradiology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fluri
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jax
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Amort
authors.forename: S G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Wetzel
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Lyrer
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Katan
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hatz
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Engelter
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020300:Intracranial Hemorrhages / Q000150:complications*; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*