OCCLUSION OF ARTERY OF PERCHERON: CLINICAL PRESENTATIONS, CAUSES AND ASSOCIATION WITH PATENT FORAMEN OVALE

Abstract

Bilateral paramedian thalamic infarcts and rostral midbrain infarcts are rare. The infarctions are due to occlusion of artery of Percheron, which is a rare anatomical variant, where a solitary arterial trunk arises from the P1 segment of one of the two posterior cerebral arteries and supplies these regions of thalamus and midbrain. The major and usual clinical presentations are disorders of consciousness, aphasic disturbances and conjugate gaze disorders. The diagnosis is based on Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the brain. Cardioembolism and patent foramen ovale are considered the most common causes of this syndrome, especially in young patients.