What Is Wallenberg Syndrome? Symptoms Causes Diagnosis Treatment and Prevention Everyday Health
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Control high blood pressure with healthy lifestyle changes and medications.Reduce the amount of cholesterol and saturated/trans fat in your diet, which may reduce buildup in your arteries.If you use tobacco, quit. Smoking increases the risk of stroke for smokers as well as nonsmokers exposed to secondhand smoke.Manage diabetes with diet, exercise, and weight loss or medication if necessary.Maintain a healthy weight to prevent stroke risk factors such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.Eat five or more daily servings of fruits or vegetables to reduce your risk of stroke. The Mediterranean diet, which is rich in olive oil, fruit, nuts, vegetables, and whole grains, may be beneficial.Exercise regularly to lower your blood pressure, increase your levels of good cholesterol, improve the health of your blood vessels and heart, lose or maintain your weight, control diabetes, and reduce stress.If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation. Heavy consumption of alcohol raises your risk of high blood pressure and ischemic strokes. On the other hand, small to moderate amounts of alcohol, such as one drink a day, may help prevent ischemic stroke, notes the Mayo Clinic.Seek treatment if you suspect you may have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a sleep disorder that causes you to stop breathing for short periods while you sleep.Avoid illegal drugs, such as cocaine and methamphetamine, which are risk factors for stroke.If you’ve already had an ischemic stroke, take prescribed medications to prevent another one.
What Is Wallenberg Syndrome Symptoms Causes Diagnosis Treatment and Prevention
By Maria MastersMedically Reviewed by Jason Paul Chua, MD, PhDReviewed: February 19, 2021Medically ReviewedWallenberg syndrome, also known as lateral medullary syndrome or Wallenberg’s syndrome, is a condition that affects the nervous system. It’s often caused by a stroke in the brain stem — the base of the brain that connects with the spinal cord. When this happens, you may experience temporary or long-term neurological problems, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center (GARD).Wallenberg syndrome is the most common posterior ischemic stroke syndrome, notes a 2017 article published in StatPearls. Ischemic stroke, the most prevalent form of stroke, occurs when a vessel supplying blood to the brain is blocked, per the American Stroke Association. Ischemic strokes can affect any part of the nervous system, including the brain stem. Brain stem ischemic strokes occur when blood vessels to parts of the brain stem become occluded or blocked off. Wallenberg syndrome refers to the set of clinical symptoms that result from ischemic injury (for example, a stroke) to a specific area of the brain stem (lateral medulla).Most Recent in Neurology
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Signs and Symptoms of Wallenberg Syndrome
The symptoms of Wallenberg syndrome vary depending on the cause and location of the brain damage. According to GARD, the most common symptoms include:Trouble swallowing (dysphagia)Feeling hoarseDizzinessNausea and vomitingRapid involuntary eye movements (nystagmus)Difficulty with balance and gait (walking)Problems with body temperature sensationLack of pain and temperature sensation on one side of the face and the other side of the bodyVertigoHiccupsHorner syndrome (decreased pupil size, upper eyelid droop, and little or no sweating on one side of the face)Causes and Risk Factors of Wallenberg Syndrome
Wallenberg syndrome is usually caused by a brain stem stroke that occurs in the vertebral or posterior inferior cerebellar arteries of the brain stem, per GARD. Less often, it can be caused by a stroke that occurs in the medullary arteries, notes StatPearls. Other causes include:Cerebral embolism (blood clot that travels to the brain)Vertebral artery dissection (which may be due to neck manipulation or injury)Marfan syndromeEhlers-Danlos syndromeFibromuscular dysplasia (abnormal cell development in the artery wall) Risk Factors Risk factors for Wallenberg syndrome include:Hypertension (high blood pressure)SmokingDiabetesEditor s Picks in Stroke
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How Is Wallenberg Syndrome Diagnosed
According to StatPearls, your doctor will likely conduct a physical exam, and may order tests including:MRI with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) to confirm the location of the strokeA CT or MR angiogram (X-ray of blood vessels) to identify the location of the blocked blood vessel and to rule out uncommon causes of strokeAn ECG to rule out any underlying atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat) or acute coronary syndrome (blocked blood supply to the heart)Blood testsPrognosis of Wallenberg Syndrome
The severity of the damage caused by Wallenberg syndrome depends on how much brain damage occurred during the stroke, notes the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). In general, however, people with Wallenberg syndrome have better outcomes than people who’ve had other stroke syndromes, per StatPearls. Most recover well; the most common lingering problems tend to be with balance and walking.Duration of Wallenberg Syndrome
Sometimes, symptoms subside after a few weeks or months after a stroke causes Wallenberg syndrome, according to NINDS. Other times, complications can linger for years afterward.Treatment and Medication Options for Wallenberg Syndrome
Treatment for Wallenberg syndrome usually involves managing the symptoms caused by the stroke.Medication Options
In some cases, doctors prescribe the anti-epileptic drug gabapentin (Neurontin) to help ease chronic pain, notes NINDS. Your doctor may also consider antiemetics to treat persistent nausea and vomiting.If you’ve already had an ischemic stroke, your doctor may recommend certain medications to help reduce your risk of having another one, according to the Mayo Clinic. These include:Anti-platelet drugs, typically aspirin, which help prevent blood clots. Your doctor might also prescribe Aggrenox, which is a combination of low-dose aspirin and the anti-platelet drug dipyridamole, or aspirin and an anti-platelet drug like clopidogrel (Plavix).Anticoagulants, to reduce blood clotting. Heparin may be used short-term; warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven) may be used for longer periods of time. Newer blood-thinning medications for preventing strokes in high-risk individuals include dabigatran (Pradaxa), rivaroxaban (Xarelto), apixaban (Eliquis), and edoxaban (Savaysa).Speech and Swallowing Therapies
A feeding tube may be required in some cases if your ability to swallow becomes very impaired, per NINDS. Speech or swallowing therapy can also be helpful.Prevention of Wallenberg Syndrome
The following healthy lifestyle tips can help prevent a stroke, according to the Mayo Clinic:Control high blood pressure with healthy lifestyle changes and medications.Reduce the amount of cholesterol and saturated/trans fat in your diet, which may reduce buildup in your arteries.If you use tobacco, quit. Smoking increases the risk of stroke for smokers as well as nonsmokers exposed to secondhand smoke.Manage diabetes with diet, exercise, and weight loss or medication if necessary.Maintain a healthy weight to prevent stroke risk factors such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.Eat five or more daily servings of fruits or vegetables to reduce your risk of stroke. The Mediterranean diet, which is rich in olive oil, fruit, nuts, vegetables, and whole grains, may be beneficial.Exercise regularly to lower your blood pressure, increase your levels of good cholesterol, improve the health of your blood vessels and heart, lose or maintain your weight, control diabetes, and reduce stress.If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation. Heavy consumption of alcohol raises your risk of high blood pressure and ischemic strokes. On the other hand, small to moderate amounts of alcohol, such as one drink a day, may help prevent ischemic stroke, notes the Mayo Clinic.Seek treatment if you suspect you may have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a sleep disorder that causes you to stop breathing for short periods while you sleep.Avoid illegal drugs, such as cocaine and methamphetamine, which are risk factors for stroke.If you’ve already had an ischemic stroke, take prescribed medications to prevent another one.