Evaluation of the patient with transient ischemic attacks.

Transient ischemic attacks (TIA) are warning symptoms of stroke in 35% of patients. A TIA is an episode of focal neurological dysfunction which is of sudden onset; the deficit completely resolves within 24 hours but the majority of TIA episodes last only 5 to 30 minutes. Full neuroimaging and neurovascular evaluation are necessary for all TIA patients. The occurrence of a TIA represents a medical emergency and immediate evaluation is necessary to define the occurrence of TIA mechanism and determine appropriate treatment options to avoid the development of a completed stroke.