Central Hypoventilation Syndrome Complicated with Lateral Medullary Infarction after Endovascular Treatment of the Vertebral Artery Dissecting Aneurysm: A Case Report

Lateral medullary infarction rarely leads to central hypoventilation syndrome (CHS). CHS is a life-threatening disorder characterized by hypoventilation during sleep. We report the first case of CHS as a complication of lateral medullary infarction after endovascular treatment. A 65-year-old man presented twice with severe headache. Computed tomography revealed subarachnoid hemorrhage and cerebral angiography showed a right vertebral dissecting aneurysm involving the posterior inferior cerebellar artery. After emergent endovascular patent artery occlusion, he developed Wallenberg syndrome and experienced apnea and a conscious disturbance episode due to CHS on postoperative days 6 and 16. Intensive respiratory care including intubation, tracheostomy, mechanical ventilation, and rehabilitation prevented subsequent recurrence of apnea and the CHS resolved completely. CHS after unilateral medullary infarction involving respiratory centers tends to occur in the acute and subacute phase and may be lethal without careful respiratory management.