title: Odor abnormalities caused by bilateral thalamic infarction.
abstract: Odor is the only sensation thought to be unrelated to the thalamus. However, accumulating evidence suggests that the dorsomedial nucleus (DM) of the thalamus is associated with odor. Although the thalamus is prone to ischemia, only a single patient with bilateral DM infarctions was reported to have odor abnormalities. We describe a second such patient with infarctions involving the left DM and the right ventral posterior nucleus and ventral lateral nucleus, nuclei adjacent to the DM, associated with transient edema. In contrast to the previous case, our patient had transient odor abnormality. These observations suggested that direct and/or indirect bilateral involvement of the DM might be associated with odor abnormalities in patients with thalamic infarction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Nara Medical University, 840 Shijo-cho, Kashihara, Nara 634-8522, Japan. asaihozon@yahoo.co.jp
authors.forename: Hirohide
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Asai
authors.forename: Fukashi
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Udaka
authors.forename: Makito
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hirano
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ueno
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D020520:Brain Infarction / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D000857:Olfaction Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D009833:Olfactory Pathways / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013651:Taste Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D013788:Thalamus / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology