Mixed alien hand syndrome coexisting with left-sided extinction secondary to a left corpus callosal lesion: a case report

Abstract

Alien hand syndrome (AHS) is actually two distinct syndromes with distinct clinical and anatomic features, that is, a frontal type and a callosal type. Frontal AHS occurs in the dominant hand; is associated with reflexive grasping, groping, and compulsive manipulation of tools. Callosal AHS is characterized primarily by intermanual conflict. We report a case of right frontal AHS and left callosal AHS (mixed AHS) secondary to ischemic stroke of the left corpus callosum (lesion extending from the genu to splenium) and right corpus callosum (minimal lesion in the splenium) in a 67-year-old male patient who also presented with left-sided tactile extinction. To our knowledge, rare reports have documented mixed AHS coexisting with nondominant side extinction secondary only to unilateral (left) callosal lesion, as in our case.