Persistent retrograde memory deficit after transient global amnesia.

A 64-year-old woman suddenly had an attack of confusion and amnesia that suggested transient global amnesia. However, her loss of memory for recent events lasted more than ten days and was accompanied by psychomotor agitation and transient alteration of sexual behavior. The patient had no other neurologic signs during the episode. She recovered completely from the recent memory deficit, but was left with a persistent retrograde amnesia for a period of five to ten years and total amnesia for the acute episode. The EEG was suggestive of a left medial temporal lobe lesion.