Ischemic stroke and TIA: clinical clues to common causes

Establishing the cause of a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or minor stroke enables you to institute effective therapy to prevent major stroke. Clinical and radiologic features that help to clarify the cause of cerebrovascular ischemia include characteristics of prior TIAs, temporal progression and nature of the neurologic deficit, and appearance of infarction on CT and MRI of the brain. Carotid and transcranial Doppler ultrasound, magnetic resonance angiography, arterial angiography, and echocardiography are used to confirm the cause of cerebral ischemia. We provide three case studies to illustrate our approach to stroke diagnosis.