Case report reveals microbleeds as a possible cause of acute brainstem syndrome in patients with negative DWI findings, suggesting new diagnostic considerations.
Key Points
To investigate the role of cerebral microbleeds in patients with acute brainstem stroke presenting with negative DWI findings.
Three cases of acute brainstem syndrome assessed for cause of neurological deficits despite negative DWI on MRI.
Neurological examinations documented symptoms including diplopia, dizziness, ataxia, and facial palsy.
Cerebral microbleeds identified in relation to detected deficits.
CMBs corresponded to the neurological deficits observed in each patient.
All patients recovered significant symptoms within 7 days.
Highlights the need for including CMBs in the differential diagnosis of posterior circulation stroke syndromes.