Clinical aspects of cerebral ischemia.

Out of 1,120 cases with focal cerebrovascular lesions, 102 cases (9.1%) were classified as transient episodes under the heading of reversible ischemic attacks (RIA). RIA comprises classical transient ischemic attacks (TIA), clearing completely within 24 h, usually few minutes or hours, and strokes in which a full recovery takes place over an average of 3 weeks. The clinical definition of transient and/or reversible requires a complete negative neurological examination including the normalization of the EEG and brain scan as well as a normal computed tomography. Even multiple transient episodes quite indistinguishable from classical TIA can be brought about by cerebral tumors. TIA are important symptoms, not a disease in themselves. Hypertension and cardiac disease along with carotid stenosis and/or occlusion seem to constitute the main conditions responsible for an evolution from TIA to completed strokes.