During 1982, 7 female patients were admitted to the Department of Neurology, The National Hospital, Oslo, with cerebral infarction (6 patients) or transitory ischemic attacks (1 patient). These patients were remarkable in that they had similar risk factors for cerebrovascular disease--use of estrogen preparations (7 patients) and smoking (6 patients). These case reports suggest that the combination of estrogen preparations and smoking may have a possible potentiating effect in increasing the risk of cerebrovascular disease. (author's modified)