A Case Report of Pontine Infarction as an Initial Manifestation of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus:Diagnostic Clues from MRI and Digital Subtraction Angiography
- Author:
Mi Sun CHUNG
1
;
Jun Soo BYUN
;
Younghee YIM
Author Information
- Publication Type:Case Report
- From:Journal of the Korean Radiological Society 2021;82(5):1281-1286
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
- Abstract: Brainstem infarction due to vertebrobasilar insufficiency is a rare initial presentation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients and small-vessel dissection as the direct cause of infarction has not been reported. We report the case of a 20-year-old female with acute infarction on the right side of the pons due to a small artery (pontine perforator) dissection, identified on digital subtraction angiography and high-resolution vessel wall MRI (vwMRI). She was diagnosed with SLE based on the presence of neurologic disorders and relevant laboratory findings. The pontine perforator-dissecting aneurysm had occluded and the right distal vertebral artery had resolved on subsequent vwMRI. She had a modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of 1 at discharge with mild symptom improvement, and exhibited no further aggravation of symptoms at 3 or 12 months, maintaining an mRS score of 1.
