The „locked in“ syndrome and its variants are characterized by a total loss of mobility w hile preserving the consciousness of the patient. It is the state that imitates coma, but the consciousness and mostly even the sensory afferentation is preserved. In the classical type the contact with the patient is possible by vertical eyes movements. In the early stage magnetic resonance imaging, including magnetic resonance angiography is very useful. We present the case-reports of three patients with „locked in“ syndrome of vascular origin. In all these three patients there was a gradual progress of neurological symptoms. We discuss the possibility of early therapeutic intervention. In severe ischaemias in the vertebro-basilar region early thrombolytic therapy should be taken into considerati on. Our experience is supported by reports from the literature.

        Key words: „locked in“ syndrome, case-reports, diagnostics, magnetic resonance imaging, early inten- sive therapy