Hemidystonia precipitated by acute pontine infarct

Hemidystonia is frequently due to an underlying structural lesion in the basal ganglia and thalamus. It has been suggested that a preserved corticospinal tract may be required for hemidystonia to manifest. We provide the first report of a patient who presented with rapid-onset hemidystonia precipitated by an acute pontine infarct demonstrated on diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. Acute dysregulation of pallidal efferents to the pedunculopontine and/or pontine afferents to the thalamus may precipitate hemidystonia.