Speech arrest after sleeping on the left body side

Abstract

Stroke like episodes can occur by cortical compression due to changes in intracranial pressure. We report a patient after left hemicraniectomy who presented transient speech arrest after sleeping on the left side. We propose that mechanical compression of the left inferior or superior frontal gyrus led to this episode similar to a major mass effect due to an unprotected brain surface after hemicraniectomy.

Key words:

• Hemicraniectomy
• speech arrest
• mechanical compression

Declaration of interest:

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.