title: The incidence and clinical predictors of acute infarction in patients with transient ischemic attack using MRI including DWI.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  According to the most recent definition of transient ischemic attack (TIA) and the recommendations of the American Heart Association, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) including diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) is considered a mandatory tool in evaluating and treating patients with TIA. This study aims to determine the incidence of TIA-related acute infarction, identify the independent predictors of acute infarction, and investigate the correlation between acute infarction detected by DWI-MRI and stroke risk during hospitalization.
  
  
  METHODS
  Over a 36-month period (starting November 2007), all TIA patients (symptom duration of <24 h) who were admitted to hospital within 48 h of symptom onset and who underwent DWI-MRI were included in this population-based prospective study. The incidence of acute infarction, clinical predictors, and association with stroke recurrence during hospitalization were studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 1,910 patients (mean age, 66.7 ± 13 years; 46 % women), 1,862 met the inclusion criteria. A TIA-related acute infarction was detected in 206 patients (11.1 %). Several independent predictors were identified with logistic regression analysis: motor weakness [odds ratio (OR), 1.5], aphasia (OR, 1.6), National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score of ≥10 at admission (OR, 3.2), and hyperlipidemia (OR, 0.6). Of 24 patients (1.3 %) who suffered a stroke during hospitalization (mean, 6 ± 4 days), five had positive DWI. Stroke rate during hospitalization was nonsignificantly higher in patients with positive DWI than those with negative DWI (2.4 vs 1.1 %, respectively; P = 0.12).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The evidence of acute infarction by DWI-MRI in TIA patients was detected in 11.1 % of patients and associated with motor weakness, aphasia, and NIHSS score of ≥10 at admission.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23538 Lübeck, Germany. mohamed.al-khaled@neuro.uni-luebeck.de
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Al-Khaled
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Matthis
authors.forename: Thomas F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Münte
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Eggers
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015984:Causality; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*