Question:hard
Loss of pain and temperature sensation on the ipsilateral face and contralateral body is due to thrombosis in the:
Loss of pain and temperature sensation on the ipsilateral face and contralateral body is due to thrombosis in the:
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Crossed face and body pain or temperature loss names a classic brainstem syndrome with a famous artery.
Updated On: Jun 23, 2026
- Posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA)
- Posterior cerebellar artery
- Superior cerebellar artery
- None of the above
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The Correct Option is A
Solution and Explanation
The phrase ipsilateral face, contralateral body for pain and temperature is a buzzword that should fire one diagnosis instantly: lateral medullary syndrome, also called Wallenberg syndrome. Here is the wiring that makes it crossed. Facial pain and temperature run through the spinal trigeminal nucleus and tract, which sits in the lateral medulla on the same side as the face it serves, so a lateral medullary infarct numbs the ipsilateral face. Body pain and temperature travel in the spinothalamic tract, which has already decussated in the cord, so the same lesion knocks out sensation on the opposite side of the body. The vessel behind it is the vertebral artery most often, but the artery that the exams pin to this syndrome is the posterior inferior cerebellar artery, PICA. Add the supporting cast, vertigo, hoarseness, dysphagia, ataxia, and Horner syndrome, and the diagnosis is sealed. Answer: PICA.
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