Subacute hemicorporal parkinsonism in 5 patients with infarcts of the basal ganglia

In 1929, Critchley introduced the term "vascular parkinsonim" (VP), which has been the subject of considerable controversy in neurology. Parkinsonism does not appear to be a frequent consequence of striatal infarcts, although unilateral parkinsonim has been reported as an acute or subacute onset syndrome following strategic infarcts in the striatum. Previous 123-I ioflupano SPECT (DaTSCAN) studies involving radioisotope labeling of the dopamine transporter protein at presynaptic level in patients with IPD (idiopathic Parkinson's disease) have found this technique to be highly sensitive in exploring the nigrostriatal pathway. Previous studies of VP with DatSCAN have been inconclusive. The present study correlates clinical data (unilateral parkinsonim following contralateral lenticular infarction), and radiological (CT/MRI) and functional neuroimagin findings (DatSCAN) in 5 patients with CT/MRI criteria for striatal infarcts. Finally, in 2 of these patients a diagnosis of IPD was made because of the follow-up of clinical signs and pathological DaTSCAN findings not concordant with the size and location of the vascular lesion.