Ipsilateral Hemichorea-hemiballism in a Case of Postoperative Stroke

Background: Ipsilateral hemiballismus refers to the rare occurrence of hemiballism developing on the same side of a brain lesion.

Case report: We describe a rare case of postoperative ipsilateral hemiballism in a patient who underwent pituitary adenoma resection and experienced a right internal cerebral artery territory infarct. We review the literature on hemichorea hemiballismus (HCHB) and explore various mechanisms for its occurrence.

Discussion: Only three cases of ipsilateral hemiballism have been described, and the exact pathophysiology remains unknown. A dominant left hemisphere with corpus callosal connections to the right basal ganglia is the most probable explanation for this unusual event.