Isolated hypoglossal nerve palsy due to an anomalous vertebral artery course: report of two cases

The authors report two patients with isolated unilateral tongue atrophy. Ma gnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain stem and angio-MRI demonstrated a dolichovertebral artery with an abnormal course compressing the medulla oblongata at the emergence of the hypoglossal rootlets. The semeiological o bservation of a sectorial and nor uniform distribution of atrophy in the ha lf-affected tongue is discussed in relation to the lesional site.