Midbrain ptosis caused by periaqueductal infarct following cardiac catheterization: early detection with diffusion-weighted imaging.

Isolated infarcts in the periaqueductal region are rare but have been reported after cardiac catheterization. The authors report a case of dorsal midbrain infarct which caused bilateral ptosis, partial upgaze paresis, and internuclear ophthalmoplegia imaged within eight hours with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). The lesion was later confirmed on T2-weighted images. Diffusion-weighted imaging can rapidly confirm the diagnosis of this rare brain-stem infarct.