[Clinical peculiarities of pathogenetic subtypes of vertebrobasilar transient ischemic attacks in elderly and aged patients].

To determine the peculiarities of clinical presentations of vertebrobasilar transient ischemic attacks in elderly and aged patients (42 patients aged 61-90 years) have been studied using clinical, laboratory, neuroimaging and ultrasound methods. Hemodynamically significant stenosis of vertebral or basilar arteries caused by atherosclerosis was found in 16 patients. It was associated with hypoplasia or kinking of vertebral arteries in 4 patients. Six patients had atrial fibrillation, 15 isolated arterial hypertension and 4 an unspecified type of the disease. Transient ischemic attacks in patients with hemodynamically significant stenosis of vertebral or basilar arteries were characterized by the highest rate and shortest duration of repeated attacks. The most severe clinical course was characteristic of transient ischemic attacks in patients with atrial fibrillation. It was featured by the longest duration of symptoms, highest rate of vision loss, limb numbness and weakness during the attack, high rate of focal neurological signs and high rate of old cerebral infarcts and vascular white matter abnormalities on neuroimages as well as the elevated plasma level of C-reactive protein. Transient ischemic attacks in patients with isolated arterial hypertension were characterized by relatively mild clinical course of the disease.