Existence of Ipsilateral Hemiparesis in Ischemic and Hemorrhagic Stroke: Two Case Reports and Review of the Literature

Supratentorial stroke presenting as contralateral hemiparesis is predominantly related to contralateral projection of the corticospinal tract. While most corticospinal fibers decussate at the level of the medulla, some tracts continue descending as ipsilateral ventral corticospinal fibers. In this systematic review of the literature and 2 case reports specifically seen in our institute, we describe the presence of ipsilateral hemiparesis in ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke patients. We compiled available information about the existence of uncrossed corticospinal tracts and/or the presence of bilateral operating motor cortical networks. There was an association in patients with congenital uncrossed corticospinal tracts and posterior fossa malformations. There was also a high correlation of ipsilateral hemiparesis in patients with remote infarction. A previous stroke was seen in 50% of the patients, all except for 1 case were ischemic in nature. Patients with previous infarcts do demonstrate an adaptive compensation for damaged or disconnected regions of an injured area. This emphasizes the need to consider the investigation for previous infarctions or underlying genetic structural defects by using certain imaging modality.