title: Bilateral paramedian thalamic infarction with hypothalamic dysfunction.
abstract: Unilateral thalamic lesions cause transient or permanent behavioral, sensory and oculomotor disturbances; bilateral lesions of thalamus result in more severe and longer lasting symptoms. We present an atypical case of bilateral paramedian thalamic infarct with concomitant hypothalamic dysfunction. The only risk factor of ischaemic stroke found in the patient was a short lasting episode of atrial fibrillation. Bilateral paramedian thalamic infarcts may result from occlusion of one paramedian thalamic artery, which arises from the posterior cerebral artery, either with separated or with a common trunk, thus supplying the thalamus bilaterally. Independently of anatomical variants of thalamus blood supply, the most probable cause of infarct in our patient was unilateral or bilateral occlusion of the posterior cerebral artery by cardioembolism, probably in the course of basilar artery occlusion. Hypothalamic dysfunction may accompany thalamic infarcts; thus hypothalamo-pituitary function should be routinely assessed in bithalamic infarcts.
authors: Department of Neurology, Medical University of Lublin, 8 Jaczewskiego St., 20-954 Lublin, Poland. ewapap@yahoo.pl
authors: Ewa
authors: E
authors: Papuć
authors: Joanna
authors: J
authors: Wojczal
authors: Zbigniew
authors: Z
authors: Stelmasiak
authors: Konrad
authors: K
authors: Rejdak
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007027:Hypothalamic Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D020762:Infarction, Posterior Cerebral Artery / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013786:Thalamic Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D013788:Thalamus / Q000098:blood supply*