Pure Motor quadriplegia in Bilateral Medial Medullary Syndrome

ABSTRACT

Medullary pyramid is the one place where corticospinal fibers are isolated as the pyramidal tract, and the result of such lesions has been a flaccid hemiplegia. Medial medullary syndrome may occur bilaterally, resulting in flaccid quadriplegia with facial sparing, bilateral lower motor neuron signs of the tongue, and complete loss of position and vibratory sensation affecting all for extremities. Occasionally, only the pyramid is damaged, resulting in a pure motor quadriplegia without other medullary signs. We report a 78-year-old man who suddenly developed flaccid quadriplegia without any other medullary signs. Brain MRI showed bilateral medial medullary infarctions that was probably due to anterior spinal artery occlusion.