Effects of butylphthalide injection on treatment of transient ischemic attack as shown by diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging abnormality

Abstract

Background and Objective: Transient ischemic attack (TIA) is a serious condition that is often called a warning stroke. The risk of cerebral infarction in patients with TIA and positive DWI findings is greater than that in patients with TIA and normal DWI findings. Butylphthalide injection is a new type of brain protective drug. The study aimed to determine the efficacy and safety of butylphthalide injection for treating TIA as shown by DWI abnormality progressing to infarction.

Methods: We studied 98 patients with positive DWI findings among 260 patients with TIA, and randomly divided into the experimental (treatment with butylphthalide injection) and control (treatment with aspirin) groups. The number of cerebral infarctions in the two groups was recorded on 7th, 14th, 30th and 90th day, and adverse reactions were observed. The number of cerebral infarctions was compared among the different ABCD² scores of patients with TIA and positive DWI findings.

Results: The incidence of cerebral infarction in the experimental group was significantly lower than that in the control group (p < .05). The incidence of cerebral infarction with an ABCD² score less than 3 points was significantly lower than that with an ABCD² score of more than 3 points (p < .05), with less adverse reactions.

Conclusion: Butylphthalide injection is helpful and safe for preventing stroke following TIA, and treating TIA with positive DWI and progression to infarction.

Keywords:

• Transient ischemic attack
• butylphthalide injection
• diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging
• lesion
• cerebral infarction

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.