[A case report of bilateral cerebral peduncular infarction manifesting tetraparesis and pseudobalbur palsy].

A 63-year-old female had presented with right hemiparesis and slight dysarthria. MRI had showed the infarction of left pons and left peduncle. Three months later she further presented with left hemiparesis, severe dysarthria and swallowing disturbance. MRI showed bilateral cerebral peduncular infarction. And the angiogram showed the occlusion of basilar artery at the just distal portion of the superior cerebellar artery. We recognized our case as the infarction due to the basilar artery occlusion. The 16 cases of bilateral cerebral peduncular infarction were reported. In these reports, the symptoms of bilateral cerebral peduncular infarction were locked-in syndrome in 15 cases and persistent vegetative state in only one case. Our patient presented with tetraparesis and pseudobalbur palsy not with locked-in syndrome, probably because the area of infarction was limited within almost lateral portion of peduncle. The sparing of posterior cerebral artery was one of the reason of such a condition. This is the first report of bilateral cerebral peduncular infarction manifesting tetraparesis and pseudobalbur palsy.