Weber's syndrome
Weber's syndrome | |
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Midbrain cross section showing lesion | |
Classification and external resources |
Weber's syndrome (superior alternating hemiplegia) is a form of stroke characterized by the presence of an ipsilateral oculomotor nerve palsy and contralateral hemiparesis or hemiplegia. It is caused by midbrain infarction as a result of occlusion of the paramedian branches of the posterior cerebral artery or of basilar bifurcation perforating arteries.[1]
Cause and presentation
This lesion is usually unilateral and affects several structures in the midbrain including:
Structure damaged | Effect |
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substantia nigra | contralateral parkinsonism because its dopaminergic projections to the basal ganglia innervate the ipsilateral hemisphere motor field, leading to a movement disorder of the contralateral body. |
corticospinal fibers | contralateral hemiparesis and typical upper motor neuron findings. It is contralateral because it occurs before the decussation in the medulla. |
corticobulbar tract | difficulty with contralateral lower facial muscles and hypoglossal nerve functions |
oculomotor nerve fibers | ipsilateral oculomotor nerve palsy with a drooping eyelid and fixed wide pupil pointed down and out. This leads to diplopia |
It is caused by midbrain infarction as a result of occlusion of the paramedian branches of the posterior cerebral artery or of basilar bifurcation perforating arteries.[2]
History
It carries the name of Sir Hermann David Weber, a German-born physician working in London, who described the condition in 1863.[3][4] It is unrelated to Sturge-Weber syndrome, Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber syndrome or Osler-Weber-Rendu syndrome. These conditions are named for his son Frederick Parkes Weber.
See also
References
- ↑ "Weber's syndrome". GPnotebook.
- ↑ "Weber's syndrome". GPnotebook.
- ↑ Weber HD (1863). "A contribution to the pathology of the crura cerebri". Medico-Chirurgical Transactions. 46: 121–139.
- ↑ Weber's syndrome at Who Named It?
External links
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