A 35-year-old woman displayed unusual symptoms of progressive bulbar dysfunction. At necropsy, systemic necrotizing vasculitis and small pontine infarcts were demonstrated. The angiographic and magnetic resonance imaging findings are described. The latter investigation is a sensitive method for detecting such pontine lesions. To our knowledge, this case is the first report of magnetic resonance imaging findings of brain stem infarct in a patient with periarteritis nodosa.