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Research Article| Volume 283, ISSUE 1-2, P175-177, August 15, 2009

Acute bilateral thalamic infarction as a cause of acute dementia and hypophonia after occlusion of the artery of Percheron

  • Ephrosyni Koutsouraki
    Correspondence
    Corresponding author. Tel.: +30 2310 994604; fax: +30 2310 994711.
    Affiliations
    1st Department of Neurology, Aristotelian University, School of Medicine, Agriteli 4, 55132, Thessaloniki, Greece
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  • Author Footnotes
    1 Tel.: +30 2310 993309; fax: +30 2310 994711.
    Georgia Xiromerisiou
    Footnotes
    1 Tel.: +30 2310 993309; fax: +30 2310 994711.
    Affiliations
    1st Department of Neurology, Aristotelian University, School of Medicine, Agriteli 4, 55132, Thessaloniki, Greece
    Search for articles by this author
  • Author Footnotes
    2 Tel./fax: +30 2310 994712.
    Vassiliki Costa
    Footnotes
    2 Tel./fax: +30 2310 994712.
    Affiliations
    1st Department of Neurology, Aristotelian University, School of Medicine, Agriteli 4, 55132, Thessaloniki, Greece
    Search for articles by this author
  • Author Footnotes
    3 Tel.: +30 2310 994712; fax: +30 2310 994711.
    Stavros Baloyannis
    Footnotes
    3 Tel.: +30 2310 994712; fax: +30 2310 994711.
    Affiliations
    1st Department of Neurology, Aristotelian University, School of Medicine, Agriteli 4, 55132, Thessaloniki, Greece
    Search for articles by this author
  • Author Footnotes
    1 Tel.: +30 2310 993309; fax: +30 2310 994711.
    2 Tel./fax: +30 2310 994712.
    3 Tel.: +30 2310 994712; fax: +30 2310 994711.

      Abstract

      The thalami of the human brain obtain their blood supply from many perforating arteries, which exhibit complex distribution and many variations. One rare variation is the artery of Percheron that supplies the paramedian thalami bilaterally. This artery arises from the first segment of the posterior cerebral artery and gives rise to bilateral medial thalamic perforants. Occlusion of the artery of Percheron none rarely results in bilateral thalamic and mesencephalic infarctions.
      We describe the case of a 38-year-old male patient with a presumed occlusion of this artery in which MR imaging revealed characteristic symmetrical bilateral paramedian thalamic infarctions. The unique characteristics of this case are based on the young age of the patient, the absence of any risk factors or other diseases and even more on the rare clinical manifestations consisted of hypophonia, memory dysfunction, time disorientation and apathy.

      Keywords

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