Transient vocal cord palsy caused by hypoperfusion of unilateral hemisphere.

We report a 68-year-old man who exhibited mild dysarthria and mild right hemiparesis resulted from hypoperfusion of the left hemisphere. An MR angiography showed a severe stenosis at the second portion of left middle cerebral artery (MCA). After the beginning of treatment, the patient suffered from hoarseness, followed by breathing failure. The laryngeal fiber exhibited right vocal cord paresis. Unilateral cortico-bulbar tract dysfunction does not typically cause vocal cord palsy. However, several cases indicate the involvement of a dominant projection from the contralateral cortico-bulbar tract to the vocal cord. In the present case, hypoperfusion of the left hemisphere might have temporarily produced right vocal cord palsy, considering the stenosis of the left MCA.