Unilateral Thalamic Infarct Presenting as a Convulsive Seizure

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Neuroscience
• Clinical Medicine

Background:

• Thalamic lesions can lead to movement disorders like dystonia and chorea.
• Seizures are an uncommon manifestation of thalamic pathology.
• While seizures in bilateral thalamic infarcts are documented, they are exceedingly rare in unilateral cases.

Observation:

• This case report focuses on an adult male presenting with a convulsive seizure.
• The seizure coincided with the onset of a unilateral thalamic infarct.
• A literature review revealed only one prior case of a perinatal unilateral thalamic infarct with seizures.

Findings:

• The study presents a unique case of a convulsive seizure as the initial symptom of an adult unilateral thalamic infarct.
• This specific presentation in an adult has not been previously reported in medical literature.
• The findings highlight the potential for varied clinical presentations of thalamic infarcts.

Implications:

• This case expands the understanding of potential neurological manifestations of unilateral thalamic infarcts.
• It underscores the importance of considering seizures in the differential diagnosis of thalamic lesions, even in unilateral presentations.
• Further research may elucidate the mechanisms linking unilateral thalamic infarcts to seizure activity in adults.