Brain Stem Infarction Due to Basilar Artery Dissection in a Patient with a Parotitis and Hyperhomocysteinemia

A 29-year-old man developed sudden dysarthria and right-sided weakness 3 days before admission to hospital. He was diagnosed with parotitis in the emergency room of Soonchunhyang University Gumi Hospital. The plasma levels of homocysteine were elevated (30.48 mg/dL). A brain magnetic resonance imaging scan revealed a high signal intensity lesion in the left paramedian pons and computed tomography angiography showed a marked narrowing of the mid-basilar artery. We report a rare case of spontaneous basilar artery dissection caused by a recent infection and hyperhomocysteinemia.