A rare midbrain infarction presenting with plus-minus lid syndrome with ataxia: A case report

Introduction. We present the case of a patient with midbrain infarction with an unusual clinical presentation, where clinical diagnosis and anatomical localization were valuable tools in deciding treatment. Case presentation. Our patient was a 59-year-old, right-handed Caucasian man with hypertension who presented to our facility with acute diplopia that persisted until he developed complete right-sided ptosis. He also had difficulty walking and coordinating movements of his upper extremities bilaterally, but this was worse on his left side. Conclusions: Plus-minus lid syndrome with ataxia is a rare presentation of midbrain infarction with a unique localization and anatomical description. This case highlights the importance of clinical skills for making a diagnosis in the absence of imaging to confirm the findings. © 2011Alsherbini et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.