title: Bilateral posterior medullary and cervical stroke: a case report.
abstract: Spinal strokes are often localised in the anterior spinal artery territory, whereas an involvement of the posterior spinal arteries (PSA) is uncommon, and usually unilateral. Bilateral PSA stroke is exceptional. A 70-year-old woman, after a mild head trauma, presented with cervical pain, left hypoaesthesia and sensitive ataxia, which then extended to the right hemibody, including face. A Doppler ultrasound showed an only systolic flow signal in the left vertebral artery (VA). MR showed a bilateral infarction extending from the posterior medulla oblongata to C4 and a left hypoplasic VA with lack of visualisation of the V3 segment. This case was peculiar, implying a bilateral stroke in the PSA territory, possibly related to a left VA dissection, and in the presence of a dominant PSA, originating from the hypoplasic VA and of hyposupply of posterior radiculomedullary arteries and anastomoses.
authors.affiliation: Neurological Clinic, Department of Neuroscience, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Nuovo Ospedale Civile S. Agostino-Estense, Via Giardini 1355, Baggiovara, I-41100, Modena (MO), Italy. jessicamandrioli@libero.it
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mandrioli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zini
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cavalleri
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nichelli
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Panzetti
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008526:Medulla Oblongata / Q000473:pathology*; D011859:Radiography; D020521:Stroke / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler / Q000379:methods; D014711:Vertebral Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*