Functional outcome of pontine infarction in a convalescent rehabilitation ward

We studied functional outcome of 12 patients with pontine base infarction in our convalescent ward. The mean onset-admission interval is 33.4±14.8 days, and the mean length of stay in the ward is 90.7±53.5 days. The median Brunnstrome stage and Barthel index at discharge was significantly higher compared with those at admission. Functional outcomes of ventromedial pontine infarcts were less favorable than those of ventrolateral pontine infarcts. Infarctions which was considered to involve branch atheromatous disease as the pathogenetic mechanism, tended to demonstrate a poor functional outcome. The areas of infarcts didn't correlate with functional outcome. (author)