Chronic Covert Brain Infarctions and White Matter Hyperintensities in Patients With Stroke, Transient Ischemic Attack, and Stroke Mimic

Background This study was conducted to compare frequencies of chronic brain infarctions (CBIs) and white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) as well as their associations with established early recurrence risk scores in patients with transient ischemic attack (TIA) and stroke mimics compared with ischemic stroke. Methods and Results Single‐center cohort study including consecutive patients with TIA, stroke mimics, and acute ischemic stroke, with available magnetic resonance imaging from January 2015 to December 2017. Blinded raters adjudicated WMH (age‐related white matter changes score) and CBI according to established definitions. A total of 2112 patients (median [Q1–Q3] age 71 [59–80] years, 43% women, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score of 2 [1–7], 80% ischemic stroke, 18% TIA, 2% stroke mimics) were included. While CBIs were present in only 10% of patients with stroke mimic, they were detected in 28% of TIAs and 38% of ischemic strokes (P