Prognosis of lateral medullary infarction

Abstract

The prognosis of 38 patients (31 men and 7 women aged 30-80 years old; mean age, 58.4 years old) with lateral medullary infarction confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging was investigated. A total of 3 deaths (8%) occurred among the patients under study. The causes of death were : 1) methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) pneumonia on the 29th day, 2) stomach cancer after 22 months, and 3) recurrence of breast cancer after 58 months. The complications among the patients included 4 cases of aspiration pneumonia, one case of gastrointestinal hemorrhage, 4 cases of myocardial infarction, one case of arteriosclerosis obliterans (ASO), and one case of ischemic colitis. Recurrent cerebral infarction occurred in 4 patients (supratentorial in 2 and infratentorial in 2). Swallowing disturbance and gait disturbance were transient in all cases, with a generally good functional prognosis. Factors which suggested a poor prognosis included complications related to aspiration in the acute phase, as well as ischemic heart disease in the chronic phase.