Cortical infarction of the right parietal lobe and neurogenic heart disease A report of three cases

Three male patients were diagnosed with new cortical infarctions of the right parietal lobe on the basis of head magnetic resonance imaging; high-intensity signals indicating lesions in the right parietal lobe were noted on diffusion-weighted images at admission. Two of them presented with left hand weakness, and one exhibited left upper limb weakness. Treatment for improving blood supply to the brain was administered. One patient died suddenly because of ventricular fibrillation 3 days after admission. The other two patients had increased troponin levels and abnormal electrocardiograms, and were diagnosed with acute myocardial infarction half a month after admission. When lesions exist in field 7 of the parietal cortex (resulting in paralysis of the contralateral hand), the sympathetic center of the posterior lateral nucleus of the hypothalamus demonstrates compensatory excitement, which easily causes tachyarrhythmia and sudden death. Our experimental findings indicate that close electrocardiograph monitoring and cerebral infarction treatment should be standard procedures to predict and help prevent heart disease in patients with cerebral infarction in the right parietal lobe and left upper limb weakness as the main complaint.