Opalski Syndrome and Elucidation of Lateral Medullary Syndrome

In this case, a 61-year-old patient presented with Horner’s syndrome of the left eye, left-sided truncal ataxia, left-sided pain/paresthesia of the face as well as right-sided loss of pain and temperature of the arms and legs. MRI findings displayed a clear 4 mm acute left lateral medullary infarct of the left posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) vascular territory, indicative of lateral medullary syndrome (LMS). The presence of pre-existing medical conditions such as uncontrolled diabetes, late-stage syphilis, and a mechanical aortic valve complicated this clinical picture. The presence of ipsilateral corticospinal deficits in this patient revealed Opalski syndrome, a rare variant of LMS. This case report highlighted the importance of correlating imaging and physical examination of stroke findings.