Bilateral medial medullary infarction with oculomotor disorders.
OBJECTIVE
We describe the first case of bilateral medial medullary infarction demonstrated by magnetic resonance imaging. We discuss the relation between this lesion and the oculomotor signs that were observed clinically.


METHODS
A 71-year-old man initially presented with pure motor hemiparesis, which progressed to complete quadriplegia. He also developed nearly complete vertical and horizontal ophthalmoplegia. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed upper medial medullary infarctions bilaterally that extended to the pontomedullary junction.


CONCLUSIONS
We propose that the vertical oculomotor disorders resulted from involvement of the oculomotor system in the caudal brain stem, especially the caudal paramedian pontine reticular formations on both sides.
Toyoda
K
K
Department of Medicine, National Cardiovascular Center, Osaka, Japan.
Hasegawa
Y
Y
Yonehara
T
T
Oita
J
J
Yamaguchi
T
T
D000368:Aged; D002533:Cerebral Angiography; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005133:Eye Movements; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008526:Medulla Oblongata / Q000098:blood supply*; D009135:Muscular Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D009801:Oculomotor Muscles; D009886:Ophthalmoplegia / Q000209:etiology; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon