Cheiro-oral syndrome due to lesions in the corona radiata.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE We describe three patients with cheiro-oral syndrome caused by a small lesion in the corona radiata confirmed by high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging. CASE DESCRIPTIONS Case 1: A 56-year-old hypertensive man who developed hypesthesia and paresthesia in the left perioral area and hand was found to have a small hematoma just lateral to the right internal capsule. Case 2: A 67-year-old man noticed hypesthesia around the left mouth angle and thumb and index finger. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a lesion in the right corona radiata. Case 3: A 45-year-old hypertensive man developed numbness in his perioral region and left hand that later spread to his shoulder. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a recent small infarct in the lower lateral aspect of the right corona radiata. CONCLUSIONS A small lesion in the corona radiata can cause cheiro-oral syndrome, whose pathogenetic mechanism in such patients may be explained by the somatotopical location or by the differing vulnerability of the neuropils in the corona radiata.