Isolated Shoulder Palsy Due to Infarction of the Cortical Branch of the Anterior Cerebral Artery

Abstract

An 85-year-old man with essential hypertension and diabetes mellitus abruptly developed right-sided isolated shoulder palsy (ISP). Cranial magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated infarction of the cortical branch of the left anterior cerebral artery (ACA), which involved the left precentral gyrus. In the primary motor cortex, the corresponding area to the shoulder is very small. Consequently, there have been only five reported cases of ISP due to a cortical infarction, and its vascular supply remains uncertain. Our present case denotes that the corresponding area to the shoulder in the primary motor cortex receives its blood from the cortical branch of the ACA.