Intraoral sensation in patients with brainstem lesions: role of the rostral spinal trigeminal nuclei in pons.

Two patients with caudal pontine lesions had diminished intraoral sensation for all modalities sparing facial sensation. A third patient with lateral medullary infarction developed diminished facial pain and temperature sensation sparing intraoral structures. This segregation of intraoral sensation within the brainstem is consistent with animal studies which show that the rostral spinal trigeminal nuclei in the caudal half of the pons play an important role in intraoral and dental sensation.