Abstract
Four patients with anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA) syndrome were studied radiologically and neurotologically. Saccadic pursuit in the eye tracking test (ETT) showed dysmetria in two patients, smooth pursuit of ETT showed saccadic patterns in three, and the optokinetic pattern test showed central-type disturbances in three. In all four angiography showed defects of AICA on the diseased side. Two patients had central nystagmus and internal auditory disturbances without cerebellar symptoms. The disorder in these two patients should be called “internal auditory artery (IAA) syndrome” to differentiate it from AICA syndrome.
Although AICA syndrome was recognized during the 1930's, it was rarely reported until the 1970's. During the last twenty years, radiological and neurotological studies have made remarkable advances, and AICA syndrome has been clarified. In our present study, we found that special attention should be given to the diagnosis of hearing loss with vertigo; however, diagnosis of some AICA syndrome cases (especially IAA syndrome) can be complicated by peripheral diseases, and so the examination of nystagmus should be performed carefully.
