Alien hand syndrome: An atypical presentation of acute left parietal stroke in a community emergency department.

ABSTRACT

A case of Alien hand syndrome as a presentation of an acute left parietal stroke to improve emergency providers recognition of the condition as a manifestation of acute stroke. We report a case of an 81-year-old female who presented with a complaint of inability to control her right arm accompanied with a subjective sense of right upper extremity numbness and weakness. It was later identified that the patient had an acute left parietal stroke and was describing alien hand syndrome, described as involuntary movements of the right hand and upper extremity. This presentation of stroke is important for emergency providers to recognize as it is uncommon, greater awareness by emergency providers may improve stroke outcomes by early detection and activation of routine acute stroke interventions. SUMMARY: In this case report a patient presented with alien hand syndrome, with inability to control her right hand along with a subjective complaint of numbness and reduction in strength in the right upper extremity, found to be due to an acute left parietal stroke that was confirmed by MRI imaging.