Perfusion weighted imaging in the assessment of the pathology and outcomes of lateral medullary infarction

This series case report aimed to elucidate the underlying pathology and outcomes of lateral medullary infarction (LMI) using perfusion weighted imaging (PWI). Four patients were diagnosed with LMI based on high-field diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI-DWI) and PWI. The national institutes of health stroke scale (NIHSS) scores were recorded on days 1, 7, and 30, and the Barthel index was assessed on days 7 and 30. Three patients exhibited relative regional hypoperfusion of medullary lesion in the perfusion maps. Two cases exhibited ipsilateral hypoperfusion in the inferior cerebellum, whereas one patient exhibited a relatively regional hyperperfusion in the medulla oblongata. The LMI patients with a high NIHSS score and low Barthel index on days 7 and 30 exhibited regional hypoperfusion. This report of 4 LMI cases provides preliminary evidence that regional hypoperfusion may contribute to worse outcomes in LMI.