MRI Findings in Lateral Medullary Syndrome According to the Patterns of Sensory Deficits

J Korean Neurol Assoc > Volume 14(2); 1996 > Article

Journal of the Korean Neurological Association 1996;14(2): 345-350.

감각장애의 양상에 따른 외측연수증후군의 MRI소견

정보우, 정두교, 김정일, 김종열, 박성파, 서정규

경북대학교 의과대학 신경과학교실

MRI Findings in Lateral Medullary Syndrome According to the Patterns of Sensory Deficits

Bo Woo Jung, M.D., Du Kyo Jung, M.D., Jung Il Kim, M.D., Jong Yeol Kim, M.D., Sung Pa Park, M.D., Chung Kyu Suh, M.D.

Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University

Abstract

The lateral medullary syndrome, I. E. Wallenberg syndrome, presents with several forms of sensory deficits. However, the correlation between the sensory deficits and the MRI findings of the medulla has been rarely attempted. We studied 16 patients with lateral medullary infarction who showed appropriate MRI lesions and correlated their sensory findings with the MRI results. In order to examine the extent of lesion of medulla in the MRI, we divided the medulla into three parts, namely upper, middle, and lower parts. The patients exhibited six types of sensory manifestation. In brain MRI, five patients with uncrossed sensory deficit; three patients with contralateral sensory deficit involving only body; and one patient with contralateral sensory level on trunk showed a diagonal band, lateral, or combined lesion in the medulla. Four patients with crossed sensory deficit and one patient with ipsilateral sensory deficit involving only face showed a large, laterodorsal lesion in the medulla. Two patients without sensory deficit exhibited a dorsal lesion in the medulla. In conclusion, lateral medullary syndrome usually has a characteristic lesion in the MRI according to the sensory deficits.