TRANSIENT DYSKINESIAS ASSOCIATED WITH THA LAMIC INFARCTS - REPORT OF 5 CASES

Stroke-related nonepileptic transient dyskinesias are rare, and the si te of ischemia remains often undetermined Five cases out of 47 consecu tive thalamic infarcts (10.6 per cent) are reported Patients presented with monochorea (1 case), hemiballism-hemichorea (2 cases), choreoath etosis (1 case with subsequent arm painful dystonia and hand tremor), and asterixis (1 case). Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated that t he subthalamic nucleus was spared in all cases. Transient dyskinesias occurred at any time in the course of infarction (as a warning sign in 1 case, as an associated symptom in 3 cases, or during recovery in 1 case). Moreover, this study suggests that: 1) transient dyskinesias ar e mainly related to thalamic ischemic injury, and 2) small vessels dis ease is the main etiology.