Pure motor hemiplegia including the face induced by an infarct of the medullary pyramid

Four autopsy cases of pure motor hemiparesis due to medullary pyramid infarcts have been previously reported. The deficits that were described included overt limb weakness and “slight facial weakness”. According to current neurological teaching, the lesion responsible for an upper motor neuron facial palsy affects the corticobulbar tract at the level of the midpons or more rostrally.