Dystonia and tremor secondary to thalamic infarction successfully treated with thalamotomy of the ventralis intermedius nucleus.
BACKGROUND
Focal thalamic lesions have been associated with a variety of involuntary movements such as tremor, dystonia, and chorea-ballism.


METHODS
We describe a patient with severe hyperkinesias of the right arm secondary to a thalamic infarction in the left postero-ventral region of the thalamus.


RESULTS
The dystonia and tremor of the right upper limb were subsequently controlled with another surgical lesion of the ventralis intermedius nucleus of the thalamus.


CONCLUSIONS
This observation suggests that ablative surgery might be applied to treat a movement disorder induced by the lesion of the same nucleus, which in addition lead to interesting pathophysiological conjectures.
Movement Disorders Unit, International Center for Neurological Restoration (CIREN), Habana, Cuba.
Mario
M
Álvarez
Nelson
N
Quintanal
Amado
A
Díaz
José
J
Prince
Ivan
I
García
Maylen
M
Carballo
Rafael
R
Rodríguez
Carlos
C
Maragoto
Ivonne
I
Pedroso
Raul
R
Macías
D000328:Adult; D020520:Brain Infarction / Q000209:etiology; D004421:Dystonia / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D013788:Thalamus / Q000473:pathology*; D014202:Tremor / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D020651:Ventral Thalamic Nuclei / Q000601:surgery*
VIM; dystonia; thalamic infarction; thalamotomy; tremor