Pyramidal infarction in the medulla: a cause of pure motor hemiplegia sparing the face

We present a case with an infarct limited to the right pyramidal tract in the medulla. The lesion lay approximately 1 cm below the pontomedullary junction. On the basis of this case and three previously reported cases of medullary pyramidal infarction, there is defined a syndrome of severe hemiplegia with relative sparing of the face, tongue and articulation, minimal sensory loss, and good recovery. The hemiplegia is initially flaccid and later spastic. Transient symptoms, referable to the tegmentum of the medulla, occur at the onset, and reflect ischemia in the deeper territory of a paramedian penetrating vessel.