Yield of CT perfusion for the evaluation of transient ischaemic attack

BackgroundMagnetic resonance diffusion-weighted imaging and perfusion-weighted imaging are able to identify ischaemic ‘footprints’ in transient ischaemic attack. Computed tomography perfusion (CTP) may be useful for patient triage and subsequent management. To date, less than 100 cases have been reported, and none have compared computed tomography perfusion to perfusion-weighted imaging (PWI). We sought to define the yield of computed tomography perfusion for the evaluation of transient ischaemic attack.MethodsConsecutive patients with a discharge diagnosis of possible or definite transient ischaemic event who underwent computed tomography perfusion were included in this study. The presence of an ischaemic lesion was assessed on non-contrast computed tomography, automatically deconvolved CTPTMax (Time till the residue function reaches its maximum), and when available on diffusion-weighted imaging and PWITMax maps.ResultsThirty-four patients were included and 17 underwent magnetic resonance imaging. Median...