Delayed-onset focal dystonia after stroke.

The delayed-onset focal or segmental dystonia is a rare sequelae of cerebrovascular disease. The responsible lesion sites for the dystonia are variable and the pathogenesis is uncertain. This study reports three patients with delayed-onset focal dystonia as a complication of stroke. The interval between hypoxic insult and onset of dystonia were varied from 1 month to 1 year. Two adults and one child had focal lesions at the contralateral basal ganglia. The interval between the brain damage and dystonia did not appear to be related to the age at the time of hypoxic injury. The site of lesions may serve as an important factor in the pathogenesis.