[Central post-stroke pain in Wallenberg syndrome].
We analyzed clinical characteristics of central post-stroke pain (CPSP), constant and burning pain, in 32 patients with Wallenberg syndrome due to infarction. CPSP developed in 44% (14/32) of the patients; 8 in acute stage (within 4 days after the stroke) and 8 in chronic stage(10-120 days after the stroke). Apart from one exceptional case, CPSP was present in the hypalgesic side of face and extremities. In 9 cases of typical type (Currier's distribution of sensory disturbance), CPSP occurred in the ipsilateral face to the lesion during acute stage. Among them, 2 cases developed severe lancinating pain in chronic stage. In 5 cases of ventral type, it occurred in the contralateral extremities during chronic stage. Spino- and trigemino-thalamic tract are injured but medullary reticular formation is intact in Wallenberg syndrome. It is, therefore, considered that CPSP in Wallenberg syndrome is caused by denervation sensitivity of "paleo-reticulothalamic" tract within the reticular formation.
Department of Neurology, Saitama Medical School, 38 Morohongo, Moroyama-cho, Iruma-gun, Saitama 350-0495, Japan.
Yoshihiko
Y
Nakazato
Kimiko
K
Yoshimaru
Aya
A
Ohkuma
Nobuo
N
Araki
Naotoshi
N
Tamura
Kunio
K
Shimazu
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005157:Facial Pain / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D014854:Lateral Medullary Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*