Stroke in the artery of percheron territory: the two edges of one diagnosis.

Abstract

Occlusion of artery of Percheron is a rare condition caused by a peculiar anatomic variation in cerebral blood supply, leading to a bilateral thalamic infarction. Strokes in artery of Percheron account for 0.1% to 2% of all cerebral infarctions. Thalamic area is supplied by the arteries arising directly from the P1 segment of the posterior cerebral artery. However, in 1/3 of cases the supply is provided by a single trunk referred to as artery of Percheron (AOP). Early diagnosis of stroke in AOP can be very challenging due to an ambiguous clinical presentation and the absence of neurovisualization findings. This article presents two clinical cases of stroke in artery of Percheron observed at Lviv Emergency Hospital. Different clinical progression of a cerebrovascular accident contrasted with a similar neurovisualization pattern was a distinctive feature in these patients. Taking into consideration the rarity of this condition and a characteristic clinical presentation, these clinical cases were retrospectively analyzed and compared. A stroke in AOP should be suspected in all patients with symptoms of interrupted blood supply in the vertebrobasilar territory. The diagnosis primarily depends on clinical features; patients with paramedian bilateral thalamic lesions may develop sudden problems with consciousness, vertical gaze palsy and memory disorders. Early diagnosis of this condition allows for more effective therapeutic interventions and improves patient prognosis.