Treatment
Treatment for lateral medullary syndrome involves focusing on relief of symptoms and active rehabilitation to help those suffering from the stroke syndrome recover their activities of daily living and cope with neurologic loss that can be psychologically devastating. Depressed mood and withdrawal from society can be seen in patients following the initial neurologic insult.
A feeding tube inserted through the mouth or gastrostomy may be necessary if swallowing is impaired. Speech therapy may be beneficial in diet recommendations and helping to understand if there is risk for aspiration pneumonia. In some cases, medication may be used to reduce or eliminate pain. Some studies have reported success in mitigating the chronic neuropathic pain associated with the syndrome with anti-epileptics such as gabapentin. The small caliber of the affected PICA does not typically lend itself to reliable surgical recanalization, although a cerebral angiogram is typically required by a neuroradiologist to make this distinction.
One of the most unique and difficult to treat symptoms that occur due to Wallenberg syndrome are interminable, violent hiccups. The hiccups can be so severe that patients often struggle to eat, sleep and carry on conversations. Depending on the severity of the blockage caused by the stroke, the hiccups can last for weeks. Unfortunately there are very few successful medications available to mediate the inconvenience of constant hiccups.
Long term treatment generally involves the use of antiplatelets like aspirin or clopidogrel and statin regimen for the rest of their lives in order to minimize the risk of another stroke.warfarin is used if atrial fibrillation is present. Other medications may be necessary in order to suppress high blood pressure and risk factors associated with strokes.
Treatment for this disease can be disconcerting because some individuals will always have residual symptoms due to the severity of the blockage. Two patients may present with the same initial symptoms right after the stroke has occurred, but after several months one patient may fully recover while the other is still severely handicapped.
Read more about this topic: Lateral Medullary Syndrome
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