Isolated truncal contrapulsion as a rare presentation of acute thalamic infarct

• Main Authors: S Sheetal, S A Kumar, R Thomas
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2020-01-01
• Series: Journal of Postgraduate Medicine
• Subjects: contrapulsion; ipsipulsion; thalamic infarct; truncal lateropulsion
• Online Access: http://www.jpgmonline.com/article.asp?issn=0022-3859;year=2020;volume=66;issue=4;spage=212;epage=214;aulast=Sheetal

Infarcts involving the thalamus can yield many deficits, including sensory syndromes, altered consciousness, and cognitive disturbances, depending on the thalamic vascular territory involved. Isolated truncal contrapulsion due to pure thalamic infarct has been rarely reported. Truncal lateropulsion is a compelling sensation of being pulled toward one side that cannot be explained by weakness or limb ataxia. It is commonly reported in lateral medullary infarcts. It may occur with lesions that involve the peripheral vestibular system, brainstem, cerebellum, basal ganglia, ponto-mesencephalic, and thalamic lesions. We hereby report a 64-year-old woman who presented with truncal contrapulsion as the sole manifestation of an acute right lateral thalamic infarct.