Transient global amnesia and stroke.

Four patients who experienced isolated transient global amnesia had computed tomographic evidence for a cerebral infarct (3 cases) or hemorrhage (1 case). The medial part of the temporal lobe was involved in 2 patients (left in 1, right in 1), the left lentiform nucleus in 1 patient, and the left thalamus in 1 left-handed patient. These findings suggest that transient global amnesia may be associated with stroke in some cases, but it has no localizing value within the temporodiencephalic structures. No cerebrovascular events occurred over a 1-to 5-year follow-up, suggesting that transient global amnesia with infarction or hemorrhage is not a strong predictor of further stroke.