Giant-cell arteritis presenting with ipsilateral hemiplegia and lateral medullary syndrome

Abstract

We describe the clinical and anatomopathological findings in an 85-year-old male presenting with a lateral medullary syndrome and ipsilateral hemiplegia (Opalski's syndrome) due to giant-cell arteritis of the vertebral artery. Other common associated symptoms of the disease were absent, and the erythrocyte sedimentation rate was only of 30 mm/h. This case emphasizes that limited intracranial giant-cell arteritis may present rarely as a stroke.