PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - James Bailey
AU  - Kayvan Khadjooi
TI  - Lesson of the month 1: Artery of Percheron occlusion – an ­uncommon cause of coma in a middle-aged man
AID  - 10.7861/clinmedicine.16-1-86
DP  - 2016 Feb 01
TA  - Clinical Medicine
PG  - 86--87
VI  - 16
IP  - 1
4099  - http://www.rcpjournals.org/content/16/1/86.short
4100  - http://www.rcpjournals.org/content/16/1/86.full
SO  - Clin Med2016 Feb 01; 16
AB  - Bilateral paramedian thalamic infarction resulting from artery of Percheron occlusion presents with a distinct clinical syndrome comprising impaired consciousness, often with vertical gaze palsy and memory impairment. This uncommon anatomical variant arises as a single artery supplying both paramedian thalami. Early recognition can be challenging in the obtunded patient, where the differential diagnosis is broad. The acute physician should consider this diagnosis in a patient presenting with unexplained coma so that emergent treatments such as thrombolysis can be employed. Early imaging with computerised tomography can often be normal; therefore the use of magnetic resonance imaging is essential in confirming the diagnosis.