The 10-second stroke: a case report.
BACKGROUND
Acute infarction is detected in a third of patients undergoing diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) with clinically suspected transient ischemic attack. The longer symptoms are present, the more likely an infarct will be identified on DW-MRI. Events as short as 10 minutes have been reported in association with a DW-MRI lesion.


METHODS
We present a case of an otherwise healthy man with a 10-second episode of neurologic dysfunction associated with DW-MRI lesions from a cardioembolic source.


RESULTS
The atypical symptoms and lack of risk factors for cerebrovascular disease made his diagnosis easy to miss.


CONCLUSIONS
Early DW-MRI may be of benefit beyond clinical judgment in patients with fleeting symptoms of neurologic dysfunction.
Department of Emergency Medicine, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island. Electronic address: msiket@lifespan.org.
Matthew S
MS
Siket
Department of Neurology, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island.
Brian
B
Silver
D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D006801:Humans; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000175:diagnosis*; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008297:Male; D011859:Radiography; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis*
MRI; TIA; Transient ischemic attack; stroke; transient symptoms with infarction