Association between etiology and lesion site in ischemic brainstem infarcts: a retrospective observational study

Figures & data

Table 1 Lesion sites: distribution of lesions

	Totala	Anteromedial (%)	Anterolateral (%)	Lateral (%)	Posterior (%)
Mesencephalon	24	10 (41.5)	7 (29)	1 (4)	6 (25)
Pons	164	50 (30.5)	53 (32.5)	38 (23)	23 (14)
Medulla	79	15 (19)	9 (11.5)	36 (45.5)	19 (24)

Notes:

a Two of the patients with mesencephalon infarcts, 5 of the patients with pontine infarcts, and 4 of the patients with medullary infarcts had an infarct in other locations of the brainstem as well (Mes+P:1, P+med:3, Mes+P+med:1). Also, there were infarcts in other localizations of the brainstem in 1 of the patients with mesencephalon infarct, 7 of the patients with pontine infarct, and 3 of the patients with medullary infarct (anteromedial/anterolateral/lateral/posterior infarct).

Abbreviations: Mes, mesencephalon; P, pons; med, medulla.

Table 2 Etiological distribution of brainstem infarcts according to the anatomical site

	Totala	Large artery atherothrombosis (%)	Cardioembolic (%)	Small vessel occlusion (%)	Other rare causes (%)	Unknown cause (%)
Mesencephalon	23	11 (48)	6 (26)	2 (8.5)	1 (4.5)	3 (13)
Pons	141	86 (74)	30 (21)	11 (8)	6 (4)	8 (5.5)
Medulla	69	37 (53.5)	15 (21.5)	2 (3)	8 (11.5)	7 (10)

Note:

a Two of the patients with mesencephalon infarcts, 5 of the patients with pontine infarcts, and 4 of the patients with medullary infarcts had an infarct in other locations of the brainstem as well (Mes+P:1, P+med:3, Mes+P+med:1).

Abbreviations: Mes, mesencephalon; P, pons; med, medulla.

Table 3 Etiological distribution

	Total	Large artery atherothrombosis (%)	Cardioembolic (%)	Small vessel occlusion (%)	Other rare causes (%)	Unknown cause (%)
Anteromedial	75	41 (54.5)	17 (22.5)	5 (6.5)	3 (4)	9 (12)
Anterolateral	71	43 (57.5)	15 (21)	6 (8.5)	2 (3)	5 (7)
Lateral	73	43 (59)	18 (24.5)	2 (2.5)	7 (9.5)	3 (4)
Posterior	49	31 (63)	6 (12)	3 (6)	3 (6)	6 (12)

Note: Patients with infarcts at multiple sites were counted in each group separately.

Table 4 Distribution of the anatomical site of non-brainstem infarcts

	Mesencephalon	Pons	Medulla	Mesencephalon + pons	Total
Cerebellum	2	7	13	1	23
PCA	7	2	0	0	9
Anterior circulation	1	6	1	0	8
Multiplea	1	8	2	0	11
Total	11	23	16	1	51

Note:

a Cerebellum and/or PCA and/or anterior circulation.

Abbreviation: PCA, posterior cerebral artery.