Putaminal haemorrhage leading to pure motor hemiplegia.

Pure motor hemiplegia (PMH) is commonly attributed to lacunar infarction of internal capsule or basis pontis. We report 7 patients of pure motor hemiplegia as a result of small or moderate size putaminal haemorrhage. All the patients had normal median somatosensory evoked potentials. Central Motor Conduction Time (CMCT) to upper limb was not recordable in all 3 patients with complete hemiplegia. Three of seven patients had complete and four had partial recovery. Anterioposterior extension of small or moderate size putaminal haemorrhage seems to spare the medially located sensory fibres in the internal capsule. On the basis of our results, lateral putaminal haemorrhage should be considered in the differential diagnosis of PMH.