Delayed-onset ipsilateral sensory symptoms in patients with central poststroke pain

Abstract

Sensory symptoms almost always develop on the side contralateral to the cerebral lesion. Delayed occurrence of ipsilateral sensory symptoms after stroke has not been recognized. I describe 6 patients with unilateral stroke who initially developed painful sensory symptoms on the side contralateral to the lesion. The patients' central poststroke pain progressively worsened for a certain period of time when sensory symptoms also occurred on the side ipsilateral to the lesion. The delayed-onset ipsilateral sensory symptom was mild, unaccompanied by objective sensory deficits and developed at the body parts mirroring the site of the most severe central poststroke pain. Possible pathogenic mechanisms for this delayed-onset ipsilateral sensory symptom are discussed.