International Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics | 2019
Benign abducens nerve palsy: diagnosis by exclusion
Abstract
Abducens/sixth cranial nerve, with its longest subarachnoid course from dorsal pons to lateral rectus muscle, is easily affected by tumour, trauma, hemorrhage, infections, demyelinating conditions, Miller Fisher syndrome, Gradenigo’s syndrome and rarely by ophthalmoplegic migraine. If there is no suggestive history or symptoms and signs indicative of one of the five topographical syndromes: brainstem syndrome, elevated intracranial pressure syndrome, petrous apex syndrome, cavernous sinus syndrome or orbital syndrome, the patient can be classified as a case of isolated sixth nerve palsy. But radiological confirmation is important. Early diagnosis is often critical in some conditions that present with sixth nerve palsy. Benign abducens nerve palsy is a known entity in pediatric age group with Incidence is 7.6 per 100000. The etiology of isolated benign sixth nerve palsy remains uncertain.