Isolated astasia caused by a localized infarction in the suprathalamic white matter.

ABSTRACT

A 73-year-old woman with essential hypertension and diabetes mellitus abruptly developed astasia. There were no other neurological abnormalities. Cranial diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a localized infarction in the right-sided suprathalamic white matter. Under antiplatelet agent and rehabilitation, the patient became asymptomatic within 4 days. This is a first reported case of isolated astasia due to a suprathalamic white matter infarction. We speculated that disruption of the connection from the ventrolateral nucleus of the thalamus to the posterior cingulate gyrus and/or supplementary motor area might cause astasia.