A Case of Primary Medullary Hemorrhage

ABSTRACT

We report a case of isolated primary medullary hemorrhage with a review of the literature to analyze the clinical presentation and radiological character. A 46-year-old man with chronic alcoholism developed tegmental medullary syndrome secondary to spontaneous hemorrhages in the medulla oblongata. Magnetic resonance imaging study was carried out on the third day after the second event, which showed two distinct isolated hematomas in the medulla oblongata. Digital subtraction angiography was normal. The cause of hemorrhage was presumed to be cryptic vascular malformation. The primary medullary hemorrhage usually presents with a characteristic syndrome of sudden onset vertigo with neurological signs that correspond to various combination of medial and lateral medullary involvement. Usually, the prognosis is good only with conservative treatment.