Central vertigo due to infarction of the posterior inferior cerebellar artery - Wallenberg syndrome

It is an unreal spinning sensation of one's own body or surrounding objects, in the context of a disease that reduces the blood supply to an area of the brain (cerebral vascular accident).

When the PICA artery in the medullobulbar area is blocked, it is called Wallenberg's syndrome. The origin of the occlusion of the artery is multifactorial: smoking, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and diabetes.

The sensation of vertigo may be accompanied by gait instability, double vision (diplopia), difficulty swallowing, facial pain and loss of sensation in one area of the body.

Diagnosis is clinical by questioning and physical examination. The study is completed with imaging tests: CT-scan and/or MRI.

Treatment of the lack of cerebral irrigation must be early in order to permeabilise the obstructed artery as soon as possible; intravenous medication is usually administered. Once the brain damage has been definitively established, therapy is based on symptom management.