Summary
- Cerebral ischaemia should be suspected when a patient presents with typical symptoms of rapidly resolving unilateral weakness or numbness, but also with less classic symptoms such as unilateral vision loss, transient aphasia, or vertigo.
- In a patient who presents with ongoing neurological deficit, aggressive treatment for stroke should not be delayed in the hope that the symptoms will spontaneously resolve.
- Evaluation focuses on work-up of underlying aetiology. Treatment centres on secondary prevention with anticoagulants in cases of embolic aetiology, or antiplatelet therapy for non-embolic events. Modifiable risk factors such as carotid stenosis, hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, and unhealthy lifestyle are other targets of therapy.
- Transient ischaemia attacks (TIAs) have considerable risk of early recurrent cerebral ischaemic events. Evaluation and initiation of secondary prevention should occur rapidly.
- In addition to a complete neurological examination and evaluation for diseases that mimic TIA, diagnostic imaging such as MRI with diffusion-weighted images is helpful to detect evidence of cerebral ischaemia.
Other related conditions
- Chronic renal failure
- Miscarriage
- Acute atrial fibrillation
- Acute exacerbation of congestive heart failure
- Assessment of hypotension
- Chronic congestive heart failure
- Haemorrhagic stroke
- Ischaemic stroke
- Sickle cell anaemia
- Subarachnoid haemorrhage
- Subdural haematoma
- Systemic vasculitis
- Alcohol abuse
- Assessment of hearing loss
- Assessment of polyneuropathy
- Assessment of syncope
- Bell's palsy
- Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo
- Chronic atrial fibrillation
- Conversion and somatisation disorders
- Hypercholesterolaemia
- Hypertriglyceridaemia
- Labyrinthitis
- Meniere's disease
- Migraine headache in adults
- Multiple sclerosis
- Non-diabetic hypoglycaemia
- Obesity in adults
- Overview of seizure disorder
- Overview of stroke
- Panic disorders
- Patent foramen ovale
- Smoking cessation
- ST-elevation myocardial infarction
- Tinnitus
- Essential hypertension
- Mitral stenosis
- Aortic stenosis
- Overview of diabetes
- Metabolic syndrome
Last updated: Dec 21, 2012
