PREVALENCE AND PROGNOSTIC VALUE OF TRANSI ENT ISCHEMIC EVENTS PRECEDING CEREBRAL INFARCTION

To evaluate the prevalence, the aetiological profile and the neurologi cal consequences al day IS of a transient ischaemic attack (TIA) befor e a cerebral infarction, we undertook survey from 1985 to 1991, on 1 1 49 cases with cerebral infarction observed on the population of Dijon. On 1 149 cases, 275 (24 %) were preceded by a TIA. Fifty seven cases were lacunar infarcts (20,7 %) and 218 were cortical infarcts (79,3 %) . On the aetiological point of view the group with 275 infarctions pre ceded by a TIA was statistically different from the group of 874 infar ctions without any TIA, with higher blood pressure, cardiac arhythmia, tobacco abuse and ischaemic cardiac disease history. Only 65 out of 2 75 infarctions preceded by one TIA (23,6 %) had a perfect territorial relationship between the 2 attacks, and 210 our of 275 (76,4 %) had no territorial relationship. While the Barthel scare at day 15 was simil ar within the 2 groups, inversely, pseudo-bulbar syndrome was signific antly more frequent in the first group. Former TIA does not increase t he general handicap resulting from a cerebral infarct, nevertheless it gives rise to a pseudo-bulbar syndrome.