Hemidystonia

What it means

Hemidystonia refers to dystonia which involves the ipsilateral face, arm, and leg.

In most cases of hemidystonia, a contralateral structural lesion of the basal ganglia or thalamus can be demonstrated by neuroimaging. Common aetiologies include stroke and trauma, and younger patients seem to have a greater propensity to develop hemidystonia after cerebral insults. There is often a latency between cerebral injury and the onset of dystonia. Hemidystonia may be preceded by ipsilateral hemiparesis which often resolves as hemidystonia develops.

Rare diseases that can present with this2

The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.

Part of the broader category