clinical features
Last reviewed 01/2018
The clinical features of lateral medullary syndrome can be divided into those resulting from brainstem or cerebellar dysfunction:
Cerebellar features:
- ipsilateral limb ataxia
- vertigo
- nystagmus to the side of the lesion - due to damage to the vestibulo-ocular connections
Brain stem features:
- sudden onset of dizziness and vomiting - due to the involvement of vestibular and vagal nuclei respectively
- dysphagia and dysarthria - due to lesion to the nucleus ambiguus and vagal nuclei
- ipsilateral Horner's syndrome
- ipsilateral facial sensory loss - pain and temperature
- ipsilateral pharyngeal and laryngeal paralysis - cranial IX and X palsies
- contralateral sensory loss - pain and temperature of the limbs and trunk