Stroke Certified Registered Nurse (SCRN) Practice Exam

Wallenberg syndrome, also known as lateral medullary syndrome, is primarily associated with a stroke in the region supplied by the posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA). This syndrome results from an impairment of blood flow to the brainstem, particularly affecting the medulla oblongata. The core features of Wallenberg syndrome include symptoms such as dysphagia, hoarseness, and ataxia, which arise from lesions in specific cranial nerve and brainstem pathways located in the lateral medulla.

Blood supply to this area is predominantly from PICA, making it the most likely artery involved in Wallenberg syndrome. In contrast, the other options refer to strokes affecting different vascular territories that do not typically result in the signs and symptoms characteristic of Wallenberg syndrome. For instance, strokes in the basilar artery, middle cerebral artery (MCA), or anterior cerebral artery (ACA) would manifest with distinct clinical presentations attributed to their respective regions, not the unique combination seen in Wallenberg syndrome.