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Accidente isquémico transitorio

Last reviewed: 9 Aug 2025
Last updated: 29 Jul 2025

Summary

Definition

History and exam

Key diagnostic factors

  • informe del cuidador o del paciente sobre el déficit neurológico focal
  • inicio repentino y breve duración de los síntomas
Full details

Other diagnostic factors

  • antecedentes de aterosclerosis extracraneal
  • antecedentes de enfermedad cardíaca
  • síntomas unilaterales
  • disfasia
  • ataxia, vértigo o pérdida del equilibrio
  • pérdida visual o déficit del campo visual
  • diplopía binocular
  • presión arterial elevada en la presentación
  • ausencia de síntomas positivos (temblor, escotoma, espasmo)
  • antecedentes personales o familiares de accidente cerebrovascular prematuro, aborto espontáneo o tromboembolia venosa
  • soplo carotídeo
Full details

Risk factors

  • fibrilación auricular
  • enfermedad valvular
  • estenosis carotídea
  • estenosis intracraneal
  • insuficiencia cardíaca congestiva
  • hipertensión
  • hiperlipidemia
  • diabetes mellitus
  • tabaquismo
  • Trastorno por consumo de alcohol
  • edad avanzada
  • foramen oval permeable (FOP)
  • inactividad
  • obesidad
  • hipercoagulabilidad
Full details

Diagnostic investigations

1st investigations to order

  • glucemia
  • perfil químico
  • hemograma completo (HC)
  • tiempo de protrombina, índice internacional normalizado (INR) y tiempo de tromboplastina parcial (TTP) activada
  • electrocardiograma (ECG)
  • resonancia magnética (IRM) cerebral con estudios por imágenes ponderadas en difusión
  • lipidograma en ayunas
Full details

Investigations to consider

  • tomografía computarizada (TC) de la cabeza
  • velocidad de sedimentación globular (VSG)
  • telemetría/monitorización Holter
  • ecocardiograma ± estudio de burbujas
  • ultrasonido Doppler de carótida
  • angiografía por tomografía computarizada (TC)
  • angiografía por resonancia magnética (ARM)
  • Doppler transcraneal
  • estudios de hipercoagulabilidad
Full details

Treatment algorithm

ACUTE

accidente isquémico transitorio de vasos pequeños (AIT)

accidente isquémico transitorio cardioembólico (AIT)

estenosis de una arteria intracraneal principal

estenosis carotídea extracraneal (con estenosis carotídea del ≥50%)

con válvulas cardíacas mecánicas o cardiopatía reumática que ya se encuentran en tratamiento anticoagulante en rango terapéutico

Contributors

Authors

Jennifer Simpson, MD
Jennifer Simpson

Clinical Professor

Department of Neurology

University of Colorado School of Medicine

Aurora

CO

Disclosures

JS declares that she has no competing interests.

Karen Orjuela, MSCR, FAAN

Assistant Professor

Department of Neurology

University of Colorado School of Medicine

Aurora

CO

Disclosures

KO has received research funding from the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation and Abbott.

Acknowledgements

Dr Jennifer Simpson and Dr Karen Orjuela wish to gratefully acknowledge Dr Lucia Chen and Dr Ethan Cumbler, previous contributors to this topic.

Disclosures

LC and EC declare that they have no competing interests.

Peer reviewers

Michael S. Phipps, MD, MHS

Associate Professor of Neurology and Epidemiology and Public Health

University of Maryland School of Medicine

MD

Disclosures

MSP declares that he has no competing interests.

Ronan Factora, MD

Staff Physician

Section of Geriatric Medicine

Cleveland Clinic

Cleveland

OH

Disclosures

RF declares that he has no competing interests.

Tony Rudd, MD

Stroke Physician

Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust

Stroke Programme Director

Royal College of Physicians

London

UK

Disclosures

TR declares that he has no competing interests.

Peer reviewer acknowledgements

BMJ Best Practice topics are updated on a rolling basis in line with developments in evidence and guidance. The peer reviewers listed here have reviewed the content at least once during the history of the topic.

Disclosures

Peer reviewer affiliations and disclosures pertain to the time of the review.

References

Our in-house evidence and editorial teams collaborate with international expert contributors and peer reviewers to ensure that we provide access to the most clinically relevant information possible.

Key articles

Kleindorfer DO, Towfighi A, Chaturvedi S, et al. 2021 Guideline for the prevention of stroke in patients with stroke and transient ischemic attack: a guideline from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. Stroke. 2021 Jul;52(7):e364-467.Full text  Abstract

Turan TN, Zaidat OO, Gronseth GS, et al. Stroke prevention in symptomatic large artery intracranial atherosclerosis practice advisory: report of the AAN Guideline Subcommittee. Neurology. 2022 Mar 22;98(12):486-98.Full text  Abstract

Powers WJ, Rabinstein AA, Ackerson T, et al. Guidelines for the early management of patients with acute ischemic stroke: 2019 update to the 2018 guidelines for the early management of acute ischemic stroke: a guideline for healthcare professionals from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. Stroke. 2019 Dec;50(12):e344-418.Full text  Abstract

Reference articles

A full list of sources referenced in this topic is available to users with access to all of BMJ Best Practice.
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