Computed tomographic and postmortem study of a nonhemorrhagic thalamic infarction
N. R. Graff-Radford, R. L. Schelper, I. A. Ilinsky and H. Damasio
A 70-year-old man had a stroke and became unconscious. High-resolution
computed tomography (CT) with 5-mm cuts disclosed bilateral thalamic
infarctions, larger on the left than the right. He died one week later, and
a postmortem examination was performed. By plotting the CT on templates
constructed to show the different vascular territories of the thalamus, the
infarctions were predicted to be in the territories of the interpeduncular
profunda arteries. Comparing sagittal reconstructions to the Schaltenbrand
and Wahren atlas, the following thalamic nuclei were thought to be
involved: dorsomedial, parafascicular, and centrum medianum bilaterally;
and reticular, ventroanterior, and ventrolateral on the left. Pathologic
study confirmed these findings. We believe that it is possible to predict
the vascular territory of thalamic infarctions by plotting the CT on
templates showing the different vascular territories of the thalamus.
Sagittal reconstructions of CT scans also permit the determination of
thalamic nuclei involved in a lesion.