Isolated hypalgesia in ipsilateral face without hearing disorders: a variant of AICA infarction

We reported a 78-year-old woman who had a sudden-onset episode of vertigo, nausea and vomiting. Half an hour later, she felt right hemiataxia, and then noticed numbness on the entire right side of the face. She did not complain of hearing disorders or sensory disorders of left half body involving face. Pure tone audiogram and auditory brainstem responses were normal. Magnetic resonance imaging showed right hypersignals in the dorsolateral pons and middle cerebellar peduncle, as well as in cerebellum. Magnetic resonance angiography showed occlusion of the right anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA). Neuroradiological findings suggested ischemia in the whole territory of the right AICA. This is a case of AICA infarction and clinicians should be aware that sensory defect was only in the ipsilateral face without hearing disorders can be the manifestation of AICA infarction.