title: Features of patients with transient monocular blindness: a multicenter retrospective study in Japan.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Transient monocular blindness (TMB) is associated with a transient ischemic attack (TIA). The purpose of this study was to investigate the features of TMB in the Japanese population using data from a multicenter retrospective study of TIA.
  
  
  METHODS
  The subjects were consecutive TIA patients admitted to 13 stroke centers within 7 days after symptom onset. We compared clinical characteristics of patients with TMB and those without TMB who had other symptoms of cerebral TIA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 464 patients were registered between January 2008 and December 2009, and 444 patients (283 men, mean age: 68.5 years) were included in the analysis. Thirteen patients (2.9%) presented with TMB. Patients with TMB were less likely to arrive at the specialized stroke center quickly than those without TMB (P = .013). Stenotic lesions in the extracranial internal carotid artery were more common in patients with TMB (33.3% versus 9.1%, P = .022).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TMB was not common in our TIA inpatients. This study suggests that patients with TMB should immediately undergo a diagnostic workup, including brain and vessel imaging, and cardiac evaluation, as is performed in patients with other cerebral TIA symptoms. A larger, prospective cohort is needed to confirm the risks and outcomes of patients with TMB in the Japanese population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan.
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.affiliation: Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan. Electronic address: tuehara@ncvc.go.jp.
authors.forename: Toshiyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Uehara
authors.affiliation: Department of Stroke Medicine, Kawasaki Medical School, Kurashiki, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazumi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.affiliation: Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine and Neurology, Clinical Research Institute, National Hospital Organization Kyushu Medical Center, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasushi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Nagoya Daini Red Cross Hospital, Nagoya, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Cerebrovascular Medicine, Saitama Medical University, Saitama International Medical Center, Hidaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Norio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tanahashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Stroke Science, Research Institute for Brain and Blood Vessels Akita, Akita, Japan.
authors.forename: Akifumi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Tokai University Hospital, Isehara, Japan.
authors.forename: Shigeharu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takagi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Nakamura Memorial Hospital, Sapporo, Japan.
authors.forename: Jyoji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nakagawara
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Ebara Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazumasa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Arii
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Tokushima University Hospital, Tokushima, Japan.
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nagahiro
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Iwate Medical University Hospital, Morioka, Japan.
authors.forename: Kuniaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ogasawara
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Tokyo Women's Medical University Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Takehiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nagao
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Tokyo Women's Medical University Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Shinichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Uchiyama
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neuroscience and Therapeutics, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Masayasu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan.
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Iihara
authors.affiliation: Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Toyoda
authors.affiliation: Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Minematsu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D020757:Amaurosis Fugax / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010343:Patient Admission; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D061665:Time-to-Treatment; D014187:Transportation of Patients
keywords: Transient ischemic attack; amaurosis fugax; atrial fibrillation; carotid artery disease; diffusion-weighted imaging; transient monocular blindness