Contralateral glossoplegia in a lower pontine infarction.
A 65-year old man developed sudden dysarthria, dysphagia, right-sided weakness, and sensory loss. The neurologic examination revealed left-sided tongue deviation caused by right glossoplegia. A magnetic resonance imaging scan revealed an elongated acute infarction from the left ventromedial portion of the lower pons extending to the dorsal pontine tegmentum area. The ipsilateral tongue deviation of the patient may result from interruption of the contralateral crossed corticohtpoglossal projection. This finding suggests that the possibility of the corticohypoglossal decussation may exist just above the pontomedullary junction, with individual variability.
Department of Neurology, Kwandong University College of Medicine, Goyang, Korea. neurodasan@paran.com
Bon D
BD
Ku
Hak
H
Young Rhee
Sung Sang
SS
Yoon
D000368:Aged; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010243:Paralysis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011149:Pons / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014059:Tongue / Q000294:innervation*