There is variability in mild stroke outcomes and debate if administration of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) improves outcomes. Gaining a better understanding of features of mild stroke may help in identifying patients more likely to have an improved functional outcome with tPA.   

Among 296 patients included in the study, 131 patients (44%) qualified as mild strokes. Compared to non-mild strokes, mild strokes were less likely cardioembolic and more likely due to small vessel disease (17% vs 35% for cardioembolic and 35% vs 10% for small vessel disease, p<0.0001). On multivariate analysis, mild strokes had higher odds of sensory symptoms (OR=2.7; 95% CI=1.2-6.0) and posterior cerebral artery stroke (OR=2.3; 95% CI=0.9-5.5), but lower odds of having weakness (OR=0.4; 95%CI=0.2-0.8), aphasia (OR=0.4; 95%CI=0.2-0.7), M1 middle cerebral artery (OR=0.2; 95%CI=0.1-0.4), and vertebral artery stroke (OR=0.1; 95% CI=0.4-0.6). Mild strokes were more likely to be discharged home compared to non-mild strokes (33% vs 7%, p<0.0001). However, among patients with mild stroke, administration of t-PA did not significantly affect discharge disposition to home [38 (34%) no t-PA vs 5 (28%) with t-PA, p=0.41) or discharge modified Rankin Scale [median (interquartile range)=1(1-2) in mild strokes with and without t-PA].