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A young adult female in her 20s presented with gradually progressive exodeviation of the left eyeball from the last 3 years. She had mild ptosis and proptosis in her left eye with 3 mm of anisocoria. On examination, she was found to have 60 prism dioptres exotropia with minimal motility limitation (-1 adduction, elevation and depression) in the left eye. With a provisional diagnosis of acquired third nerve palsy, she underwent MRI brain and orbit with contrast, which showed enhancing nodular lesion along the course of the left oculomotor nerve in the prepontine cistern which was hyperintense on T1 post-contrast and hypointense on T2/3D Fast Imaging Employing Steady-state Acquisition-weighted images at interpeduncular cistern suggestive of a schwannoma. This led to the final diagnosis of acquired third nerve palsy in the setting of oculomotor schwannoma. The patient opted for observation in view of the small size, isolated and slowly progressive nature of the tumour., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2024. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: The significance of asymmetric enhancement on cavernous sinus MRIs in the differential diagnosis of ischemic and inflammatory oculomotor cranial nerve (OCN) palsies remains controversial. This study explored the cavernous sinus MRI findings for cavernous sinus idiopathic inflammation (inflammation group), microvascular ischemic OCN palsy (ischemic group), and ocular myasthenia gravis (OMG group) patients., Methods: A total of 66, 117, and 60 patients were included in the inflammation, ischemic, and OMG groups, respectively. Cavernous sinus MRIs were retrospectively analyzed., Results: The abnormality rates of cavernous sinus MRIs for OMG and ischemic groups were 41.7% (25/60) and 61.5% (72/117), respectively. Inconsistency rates between clinical topical diagnosis and imaging findings for inflammation and ischemic groups were 3.0% (2/66) and 13.7% (16/117), respectively ( P = 0.020). In the inflammation group, cavernous sinus thickness, thickening enhancement, and enhancing adjacent lesions were noted in 90.9% (60/66), 71.2% (47/66), and 25.8% (17/66) of the patients, whereas in the ischemic group, they were noted in 51.3% (60/117), 38.5% (45/117), and 0.9% (3/117) of the patients, respectively ( P < 0.001). Among ischemic CN III palsy patients, 55.5% (15/27) and 16.7% (2/12) of the cases had CN III enlargement and enhancement in the diabetic and nondiabetic groups, respectively ( P = 0.037)., Conclusions: Cavernous sinus MRI abnormalities can be explained by specific pathologic mechanisms of the primary disease based on the complex neuroanatomy. However, suspicious inflammatory changes cannot exclude the possibility of ischemia and over reliance on these findings should be avoided., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of the North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society.)

Purpose: To report a case of breast cancer with metastasis to the orbital apex with manifestation of superior divisional third nerve palsy., Case Description: A 40-year-old female, a known case of breast cancer diagnosed 3 years ago, referred to our neuro-ophthalmology clinic with chief complaint of ptosis and diplopia. In ophthalmic examination, visual acuities of both eyes were 20/20 and there was no significant finding in the anterior and posterior segment ophthalmic examination. There was left eye ptosis with MRD1 of 2 mm. In ocular movement examination, there was limitation of motion in supraduction (-2 to -3) of the left eye. Orbital MRI with contrast was requested for the patient which demonstrated a lesion in the orbital apex of the left eye. At the end, the patient was diagnosed as having superior divisional third nerve palsy. Orbital radiotherapy was recommended for the patient., Conclusion: In a patient with breast cancer who presents with diplopia, metastasis to the orbital apex with manifestation of divisional third nerve palsy should be kept in mind, and appropriate orbital imaging should be considered.

Objective: To evaluate the extent of signal abnormality in impaired ocular motor nerves using high signal and spatial resolution MRI sequences and to discuss the involvement of inflammatory or microvascular impairment in patients with diabetic ophthalmoplegia., Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of 10 patients referred for acute ocular motor nerve palsy in the context of diabetes mellitus from September 15th, 2021 to April 24th, 2022. 3T MRI evaluation included diffusion, 3D TOF, FLAIR, coronal STIR and post-injection 3D T1 SPACE DANTE sequences., Results: Ten patients were included: 9 males and 1 female aged from 46 to 79 years. Five patients presented with cranial nerve (CN) III palsy, and 5 presented with CN VI palsy. Third nerve palsy was pupil-sparing in 4 patients and pupil-involved in 1 patient. Pain was associated in all patients with CN III deficiencies and in 2 patients CN VI deficiencies. In all patients, MRI sequences ruled out mass effect and vascular pathology, such as acute stroke or aneurysm. Eight patients presented with STIR hypersignals, some with enlargement of the involved nerve. The diagnosis was confirmed through a post-injection 3D T1 SPACE DANTE sequence, which showed extended enhancement along the abnormal portion of the nerve., Conclusion: High-resolution MRI evaluation of diplopia in diabetic patients is used to rule out a diagnosis of acute stroke and contributes to the positive diagnosis of ocular motor nerve impairment, possibly combining the influences of inflammatory and microvascular phenomena. Dedicated MR imaging should be included in the initial diagnosis and longitudinal follow-up of patients with diabetic ophthalmoplegia., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To describe the neuroanatomical correlates of unilateral congenital isolated oculomotor palsy by means of high-resolution MRI., Methods: Children with a clinical diagnosis of congenital isolated oculomotr palsy and with a high-resolution MRI acquisition targeted on the orbits and cranial nerves were selected and included in the study. An experienced pediatric neuroradiologist evaluated all the exams, assessing the integrity and morphology of extraocular muscles, oculomotor, trochlear and abducens nerves as well as optic nerves and globes. Clinical data and ophthalmologic evaluations were also collected., Results: Six children (age range: 1-16 years; males: 3) were selected. All patients showed, on the affected side (left:right = 5:1), anomalies of the III nerve and extraocular muscles innervated by the pathological nerve. One patient had complete nerve agenesis, two patients showed a diffuse thinning of the nerve, from the brainstem to the orbit and 3 patients showed a distal thinning of the oculomotor nerve, starting at the level of the cavernous sinus. In all cases atrophy of corresponding muscles was noticed, but the involvement of the affected muscles varied with the nervous pattern of injury., Conclusions: High-resolution MRI represents a valuable tool for the diagnosis of III nerve anomalies in unilateral congenital IOP, showing different patterns of nerve involvement and muscular atrophy., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The oculomotor nerve is the third cranial nerve, exiting the brainstem in the medial border of the cerebral peduncle, from where it crosses straight to the superior orbital fissure. It is a purely motor nerve responsible for the innervation of all the extraocular muscles, except the superior oblique and lateral rectus muscles. It also has parasympathetic pre-ganglionic fibers, responsible for the innervation of sphincter pupillae and ciliary muscles. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the best imaging exam to evaluate patients with clinical signs of third cranial nerve palsy. The oculomotor nerve can be affected by several diseases, such as congenital malformations, trauma, inflammatory or infectious diseases, vascular disorders, and neoplasms. This article aims to review the oculomotor nerve anatomy, discuss the best MRI techniques to evaluate each nerve segment, and demonstrate the imaging aspect of the diseases that most commonly affect it., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The oculomotor nerve (OMN) innervates the pupil, ciliary body, upper eyelid, and extraocular muscles through two divisions: a superior division that innervates the levator palpebrae superioris (LPS) and superior rectus (SR), and an inferior division that supplies the medial rectus (MR), inferior rectus (IR), inferior oblique (IO), and parasympathetic fibers to the pupil and ciliary body. We present a case of complete splitting of the cisternal segment of bilateral OMNs that was discovered incidentally on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in a patient who had no ocular complaints., Case Report: A 69-year-old patient was found to have bilateral splitting of the cisternal segments of OMNs during an MRI for trigeminal neuralgia workup. Both nerves sprang from the midbrain as distinct roots. They were symmetric on the right and minimally asymmetric on the left. On both sides, the medial root was slightly inferiorly situated. The patient had no visual problems and continued to function normally. A review of the literature for similar cases identified no such variants; however, it did identify eight examples of OMN fenestrations produced by aneurysms (AN), six of which had no OMN palsy symptoms., Conclusion: An anatomic variant of split bilateral OMN cisternal segments is described. The superior and inferior divisions may have different brainstem origins. Although this variant is an anatomic curiosity, it may have clinical significance and explain the various presentation of compressive OMN palsies., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag France SAS, part of Springer Nature.)

Introduction: There are various etiologies for isolated third, fourth and sixth cranial nerve palsies. The most common etiology in adults aged 50 years and older with vascular risk factors such as diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and hyperlipidemia, is microvascular ischemia. The role of early neuroimaging in older patients with vascular risk factors presenting with acute isolated ocular motor nerve palsy is controversial., Aims: We present six cases of patients aged 50 years and older, with vascular risk factors, who suffered from acute isolated paralysis of the sixth nerve. All cases were diagnosed with a non-microvascular ischemia etiology., Results: The identified etiologies included petroclival meningioma with involvement of the cavernous sinus, metastatic hepatoma, plasmacytoma, venous thrombosis, arterial-venous malformation and aneurysm., Conclusions: Despite the high cost and presumed low yield, early neuroimaging can change the clinical management in certain cases., Discussion: Previous studies have found the yield of early neuroimaging in older vasculopathic patients with acute 4th or 6th cranial nerve palsies to be 1-15%. In spite of these reports, our cases demonstrate the need for early onset imaging in these cases.

The purpose of this article is to understand the complex pathologic spectrum of oculomotor nerve palsy. We review the detailed anatomy and function of the oculomotor nerve and demonstrate how the location of a lesion can drive the differential diagnosis. Lastly, we review atypical presentations of oculomotor nerve palsy to include oculomotor synkinesis and oculomotor nerve hyperactivity. Radiologists must be aware of the typical and atypical presentations of CN III palsy to accurately localize lesions as well as avoid premature exclusion of CN III pathology., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Abstract: It is recommended that every patient with a new third nerve palsy undergo urgent neuroimaging (computed tomography angiography or magnetic resonance angiography) to exclude a posterior communicating artery aneurysm. Because of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, our institution noted a significant decline in the number of patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage presenting to the hospital. We report one such example of a patient who developed new-onset severe headache and vomiting and did not seek medical attention because of COVID-19. Two months later, she was noted to have ptosis during a routine follow-up and was found to have a complete, pupil-involving third nerve palsy. Computed tomography angiography was performed and revealed an irregular bilobed saccular aneurysm (7 × 9 × 5 mm) of the right posterior communicating (PComm) artery, but no acute hemorrhage was visible on CT. On MRI, immediately adjacent to the aneurysm, there was a small subacute hematoma in the right medial temporal lobe with surrounding vasogenic edema. This case had a fortunate and unique outcome as she had a contained hematoma adjacent to the ruptured PComm aneurysm and did not experience severe morbidity from the subarachnoid hemorrhage nor did she rebleed in the interval in which she did not seek care. This case highlights the importance of providing neuro-ophthalmic care even during a pandemic., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2021 by North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society.)

Objectives: To investigate the aetiology of acute-onset binocular diplopia (AOBD) in neurological units and identify the key diagnostic procedures in this setting., Materials and Methods: Clinico-demographic data from patients hospitalized for AOBD from 2008 to 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. AOBD due to an underlying neurological disorder known to cause diplopia was addressed as secondary diplopia. Ophthalmoparesis plus was defined when subtle neurological signs/symptoms other than ophthalmoparesis were detected during neurological examination., Results: A total of 171 patients (mean age 57.6 years) were included in the study. A total of 89 subjects (52%) had an oculomotor disturbance consistent with sixth nerve palsy, and 42 (24.6%) showed multiple oculomotor nerve involvement. The most common cause of AOBD was presumed to be microvascular in 56 patients (32.7%), while a secondary aetiology was identified in 102 (59.6%). Ophthalmoparesis plus and multiple oculomotor nerve involvement significantly predicted a secondary aetiology in multivariable logistic regression analysis. Brain CT was never diagnostic in isolated ophthalmoparesis. A combination of neuroimaging examinations established AOBD diagnosis in 54.9% of subjects, whereas rachicentesis and neurophysiological examinations were found to be performant in the remaining cases., Conclusions: AOBD may herald insidious neurological disease, and an extensive diagnostic workup is often needed to establish a diagnosis. Neurological examination was pivotal in identifying patients at higher risk of secondary aetiology. Even in cases of apparently benign presentation, a serious underlying disease cannot be excluded. Brain MRI was found to perform well in all clinical scenarios, and it should be always considered when managing AOBD., (© 2021 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Neuro-ophthalmologic deficit after thalamic infarction has been of great concern to ophthalmologists because of its debilitating impacts on patients' daily living. We aimed to describe the visual and oculomotor features of thalamic infarction and to delineate clinical outcomes and prognostic factors of the oculomotor deficits from an ophthalmologic point of view., Methods: Clinical and neuroimaging data of all participants were retrospectively reviewed. Among the 12,755 patients with first-ever ischemic stroke, who were registered in our Stroke Data Bank between January 2009 and December 2018, 342 were found to have acute thalamic infarcts on MRI, from whom we identified the patients exhibiting neuro-ophthalmologic manifestations including visual, oculomotor, pupillary, and eyelid anomalies., Results: Forty (11.7%) of the 342 patients with thalamic infarction demonstrated neuro-ophthalmologic manifestations, consisting of vertical gaze palsy (n = 19), skew deviation with an invariable hypotropia of the contralesional eye (n = 18), third nerve palsy (n = 11), pseudoabducens palsy (n = 9), visual field defects (n = 7), and other anomalies such as isolated ptosis and miosis (n = 7). Paramedian infarct was the most predominant lesion of neuro-ophthalmologic significance, accounting for 84.8% (n = 28) of all patients sharing the oculomotor features. Although most of the patients with oculomotor abnormalities rapidly improved without sequelae, 6 (18.2%) patients showed permanent oculomotor deficits. Common clinical features of patients with permanent oculomotor deficits included the following: no improvement within 3 months, combined upgaze and downgaze palsy, and the involvement of the paramedian tegmentum of the rostral midbrain., Conclusions: Thalamic infarction, especially in paramedian territory, can cause a wide variety of neuro-ophthalmologic manifestations, including vertical gaze palsy, skew deviation, and third nerve palsy. Although most oculomotor abnormalities resolve spontaneously within a few months, some may persist for years when the deficits remain unimproved for more than 3 months after stroke., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2019 by North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society.)

Purpose: Oculomotor nerve palsy (ONP) occasionally occurs in cases of pituitary apoplexy (PA) associated with pituitary adenoma, but its mechanism remains unclear. Intracranial nerves are clearly visualized by fast-imaging employing with steady-state acquisition (FIESTA). Here, we assessed the oculomotor nerve compression in patients with PA associated with pituitary adenoma using FIESTA., Methods: Twenty-eight cases of PA, with or without ONP, were retrospectively reviewed. All patients had undergone preoperative FIESTA. Two neuroradiologists, unaware of the patient's clinical symptoms, evaluated the presence and location of oculomotor nerve compression due to the tumor., Results: Thirteen of the twenty-eight PA cases were associated with ONP. Tumor size and degree of cavernous sinus invasion were not significantly different between the ONP and non-ONP groups. Even in the ONP group, 8/13 (62%) tumors did not show cavernous sinus invasion. Via FIESTA, the presence of oculomotor nerve compression was confirmed in 11/13 (85%) and 5/15 (33%) cases in the ONP and non-ONP groups, respectively (p = 0.008). The radiologists' diagnoses of laterality of nerve compression (right or left) were consistent with the patient's affected eye. In the ONP group, the location of the nerve compression was located at the entry point to the cavernous sinus, the so-called oculomotor triangle, in 9/11 (82%) cases and intra cavernous sinus in 2/11 (18%) cases., Conclusion: Compression at the oculomotor triangle is considered the main cause of ONP with PA in pituitary adenomas.

Rationale: Anti-IgLON5 disease was first described as a progressive antibody-associated encephalopathy, with multiple non-specific clinical symptoms including sleep dysfunction, bulbar symptoms, progressive supranuclear palsy-like syndrome, cognitive impairment, and a variety of movement disorders. This newly discovered disease presents with unremarkable or unspecific brain magnetic resonance imagings (MRI), and have poor responsiveness to immunotherapy., Patient Concerns: In this case, a 37-year-old man presented with 4-day history of gait instability, dysarthria, and oculomotor abnormalities. The initial neurologic examination revealed mild unsteady gait, subtle dysarthria, and left abducent paralysis., Diagnosis: The patient was diagnosed with anti-IgLON5 disease, based on clinical features and positive anti-IgLON5 antibodies in serum., Interventions: Initially, the patient was treated with high dosages of methylprednisolone and immunoglobulins.Outcomes: The symptoms of patient rapidly improved after high-dose intravenous methylprednisolone and immunoglobulins., Conclusions: In this paper, we report a new case of anti-IgLON5 disease with major symptoms of gait instability, dysarthria, and oculomotor abnormalities, with distinctive brain MRI findings, and responsive to immunotherapy., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interests to disclose., (Copyright © 2021 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Introduction: Imaging data were scarce on diabetic oculomotor nerve palsy (ONP). Our study explored the MRI features and their clinical implications for diabetic ONP., Methods: Fifty-nine patients with a clinical diagnosis of diabetic ONP were recruited from our department between January 2015 and December 2019. Orbital MRI was retrospectively analyzed, and follow-up scans were obtained for 5 patients. Based on the ocular motor nerve palsy scale, the difference in the scores on the first and last hospital days was defined as the improvement score and was used to assess the treatment effects in all., Results: Thirty-eight (64.41%) patients presented thickening and enhancement of the cavernous segment and inferior division of the intraorbital segment of the ipsilateral oculomotor nerve, with the cisternal segment spared in all. After complete resolution of symptoms, follow-up MRI in 5 patients revealed that the enhancement was less obvious compared with the previous images. 6 patients in the enhancement group and 4 patients in the nonenhancement group were treated with 80 mg of methylprednisolone. Significant differences were not detected in the median improvement scores between patients with and those without corticosteroid use (p = 0.240)., Conclusion: Thickening and enhancement of the unilateral oculomotor nerve were common imaging findings in diabetic ONP, and they persisted after complete resolution of symptoms in some patients. The cavernous segment and the inferior division of the intraorbital segment were simultaneously involved, and the cisternal segment was often spared. Refraining from corticosteroids was recommended even with nerve enhancement., (© 2021 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Background: There is no consensus regarding the best treatment option for unruptured aneurysms of the posterior communicating artery (PCom) presenting with oculomotor nerve palsy (ONP). We aimed to assess predictors of ONP recovery in a multicenter series of consecutive patients., Materials and Methods: A retrospective review of prospective databases in three tertiary neurosurgical centers was carried out, selecting patients with ONP caused by unruptured PCom aneurysms, treated by surgical clipping or embolization, between January 2006 and December 2013. Patient files and imaging studies were used to extract ophthalmological assessments, treatment outcomes, and follow-up data. Predictors of ONP recovery during follow-up were explored using univariate and multivariate analyses., Results: We identified 55 patients with a median ONP duration before treatment of 11 days (IQR 4.5-18); the deficit was complete in 27 (49.1%) and incomplete in 28 (50.9%) cases. Median aneurysm size was 7 mm (IQR 5-9). Twenty-four (43.6%) patients underwent surgical clipping and 31 (56.4%) embolization as the primary treatment. Overall, ONP improved in 40 (72.7%) patients and persisted/recurred in 15 (27.3 %). Surgery, interval to complete treatment <4 weeks, aneurysm recurrence during follow-up, and retreatment during follow-up were significantly correlated with ONP outcome in the univariate analysis. In the multivariate analysis, independent predictors of ONP improvement were interval to complete treatment <4 weeks (OR 5.15, 95% CI 1.37 to 23.71, p=0.015) and aneurysm recurrence during follow-up (OR 0.1, 95% CI 0.02 to 0.47, p=0.003)., Conclusion: There was no significant difference in ONP recovery between surgical clipping and embolization. The best predictor for ONP recovery was timely, complete, and durable aneurysm exclusion., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Purpose: To elucidate the imaging findings of congenital oculomotor nerve palsy by evaluating the oculomotor nerve and extraocular muscles on magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in a relatively large series of 14 patients with congenital oculomotor nerve palsy., Methods: Ophthalmologic examination of 14 consecutive patients diagnosed with congenital oculomotor nerve palsy, and MR imaging of the orbit and oculomotor nerves were performed., Results: Of the 14 patients with congenital oculomotor nerve palsy, 13 patients (93%) were unilateral and 12 patients (86%) had incomplete palsy. On MR imaging, 5 patients (36%) had hypoplasia or aplasia of the oculomotor nerve with variable degrees of extraocular muscle atrophy on the affected side. Of the 14 patients, nine (64%) had normal-sized oculomotor nerves with or without muscle atrophy. The most frequently involved muscles were the inferior rectus (64%) and medial rectus (50%), followed by the superior rectus (29%) and inferior oblique muscles (14%). None of the 14 patients showed an abnormal abducens nerve., Conclusion: Congenital oculomotor nerve palsy was mostly incomplete and hypoplasia or aplasia of the oculomotor nerve was apparent in one third of patients showing variable degrees of extraocular muscle atrophy, mostly of the medial rectus and inferior rectus muscles.

Purpose: To report our experience in the management of a complete oculomotor nerve palsy with a previous failed surgery., Methods: We used a fascia lata augmented nasal transposition of the split lateral rectus in a patient who had complete oculomotor nerve palsy with recurrent exotropia after previous recession-resection surgery. The lateral rectus muscle was split in half, and then joined end-to-end with fascia strips with a 5-0 polyester nonabsorbable suture. The superior and inferior fascia strips were transposed to the adjacent of the superior and inferior corners of the insertion of medial rectus. With the globe being adducted about 10 degrees, the strips were sutured on the globe using fixed 5-0 polyester sutures., Results: The patient showed orthotropic alignment at the primary position at the 5-month post-operation follow-up., Conclusion: With adequate preoperative imaging-aided evaluation and meticulous intraoperative exploration, fascia lata augmented nasal transposition of split lateral rectus could be an option of treatment for complete oculomotor nerve palsy after a previous failed surgery.

Background: Epidural injections are routinely used for management of radicular pain and are prevalent nonsurgical interventions for chronic low back pain. Pneumocephalus is a rare complication that may occur as a result of inadvertent dural puncture with an epidural needle. Pneumocephalus-induced cranial nerve deficit is also rare, with only a few reported cases., Case Report: We report a case of a 61-year-old woman with a chief complaint of diplopia after she underwent epidural injection for chronic lumbar pain. Her examination was remarkable for a partial right oculomotor nerve palsy. We obtained a computed tomography brain scan, which revealed pneumocephalus. She was managed conservatively and reported complete symptom resolution after 2 weeks. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: Pneumocephalus is an uncommon complication of epidural spinal injections. Emergency physicians should include this on the differential for a patient presenting with cranial nerve deficit after this procedure., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aims: This study aimed to describe the etiologies of acquired onset of diplopia due to isolated third, fourth, and sixth cranial nerve palsies in young adults in Korea., Methods: This retrospective study included 127 patients aged 20 to 50 years with acquired onset isolated third, fourth, and sixth cranial nerve palsies who received care at the Strabismus and Neuro-ophthalmology Department of Samsung Medical Center from 2013 to 2017. The etiologies of the palsies determined by clinical assessment, high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with three-dimensional constructive interference in steady state, and laboratory testing were analyzed., Results: Fifty-nine patients manifested sixth cranial nerve palsy. Forty-six patients had fourth cranial nerve palsy and 22 patients had third cranial nerve palsy. The most common etiologies of the ocular motor nerve palsies were presumed inflammatory lesions (21.3%), followed by presumed microvascular causes (17.3%), and neoplasms involving the central nervous system (15.7%). Neoplasms were the most common cause of sixth cranial nerve palsy (25.4%). The most common cause of fourth cranial nerve palsy was presumed microvascular ischemia (28.3%), and presumed inflammatory lesions was the most common cause of third cranial nerve palsy (36.4%). Other non-traumatic causes included vascular lesions, ischemic brainstem stroke, intracranial hemorrhage, non-aneurysmal neuro-vascular contact, multiple sclerosis, and infection., Conclusion: A substantial proportion of young adult patients with ocular motor nerve palsies manifested pathologies other than presumed microvascular ischemia or idiopathic causes. Neuroimaging and laboratory tests have important roles in the evaluation of patients aged 20-50 years with acquired ocular motor nerve palsies., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Introduction: Cerebrovascular imaging is the gold standard for diagnosis of intracranial aneurysms. Rupture of intracranial aneurysm is rare in cerebrovascular angiography, especially in unruptured intracranial aneurysm., Patient Concerns: A 74-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital for sudden onset of left eyelid ptosis for 1 day with no obvious inducement. The patient had a history of hypertension. Physical examination revealed that she had clear consciousness and normal speech, but the left eyelid drooped. The left pupil diameter was 5 mm and light reflex was absent. The left eyeball could not move, and the right eye examinations were normal. The limb muscle strength and muscle tension were normal., Diagnosis: Bilateral internal carotid artery posterior communicating aneurysm, severe stenosis of the origin of left carotid artery, and right oculomotor nerve palsy., Interventions: After the hospital, the aneurysm ruptured and hemorrhaged during radiography, and the patient improved after immediate rescue and treatment. On the third day after angiography, the patient's the condition gradually stabilized. Under the general anesthesia, left carotid artery stenosis stent implantation and left posterior communicating artery aneurysm stent assisted coil embolization were performed successfully. On the second day after embolization, the patient's head computed tomography (CT) showed subarachnoid hemorrhage with hydrocephalus. The patient underwent external ventricular drainage. A month later, the patient underwent ventriculoperitoneal shunt., Outcomes: Six months later, the patient visited our hospital for a follow-up, and she was clear-headed, aphasia, right limb hemiplegia with muscle strength grade II, left side autonomous activities, and the GOS score was 2 points. Head CT showed the ventricles were normal., Conclusions: Acute oculomotor palsy may be a risk factor for rupture of ipsilateral unruptured aneurysms, but more basic research and clinical trial evidence of intracranial aneurysms are needed to confirm this.

Background: Recurrent painful ophthalmoplegic neuropathy (RPON), previously known as ophthalmoplegic migraine (OM), is an uncommon disorder with repeated episodes of ocular cranial nerve neuropathy associated with ipsilateral headache. The age of presentation is most often during childhood or adolescence. MRI has a central role in the assessment of the RPON, especially to distinguish orbital, parasellar, or posterior fossa lesions that mimic symptoms of RPON. Actually, oculomotor nerve tumors may be masquerade as RPON so that MRI follow-ups are required to detect the possibility of tumor etiology., Case Presentation: We report a 16-year-old boy with a 7-year follow-up and multiple brain MRI data, previously diagnosed as OM. The last brain MRI, performed during an acute phase of oculomotor paresis with ipsilateral headache, showed a nodular lesion described as schwannoma of III cranial nerve. Then, we reviewed the literature on OM and RPON in pediatric age with a focus on brain MRI findings., Conclusions: This review highlights the important role of serial brain MRIs in the long-term follow-up of RPON, especially in the cases with childhood onset, in order to not delay the diagnosis of a possible oculomotor nerve schwannoma., Competing Interests: The authors declare they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2019 Maria Giuseppina Petruzzelli et al.)

Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared.

Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) has a wide disease spectrum and sometimes shows abnormal eye movement with brainstem manifestations. However, bilateral oculomotor nerve palsy with a midbrain lesion has never been reported in a patient with NMOSD. We describe a 61-year-old woman with progressive ptosis and diplopia. She displayed bilateral oculomotor nerve palsy and hypersomnia. Brain MRI demonstrated abnormal signal intensities in the midbrain and around the third ventricle and hypothalamus with a mild contrast enhancement. A cerebrospinal fluid study indicated elevated protein and pleocytosis. Because serum anti-aquaporin-4 IgG antibody was positive, the patient was diagnosed with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder with aquaporin-4 IgG. We report for the first time bilateral oculomotor nerve palsy as an initial manifestation in a patient with aquaporin-4 positive NMOSD., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A 69-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with a fever, dizziness, and headache caused by Neisseria meningitidis. After ceftriaxone was administered, she suddenly developed bilateral oculomotor nerve palsy. Intra-orbital magnetic resonance imaging using appropriate sequences revealed that her bilateral third intracranial nerves were enlarged and enhanced. She achieved complete recovery by two months after additional short-term treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin and methylprednisolone. Although intracranial nerve disorders that result from bacterial meningitis are most frequently reported in children, it is noteworthy that it can also cause focal intracranial nerve inflammation with ophthalmoparesis in N. meningitidis infection in adults.

Background and purpose: To strengthen the understanding, increase the early diagnostic rate, and improve the outcome of unilateral oculomotor nerve palsy through the analysis of the 121 patients suffering from this disease in our hospital. Methods: A retrospective study was performed on the 121 patients with unilateral oculomotor nerve palsy diagnosed at the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University from October 2014 to October 2015. The clinical data, such as gender, age, aetiology, clinical features, laboratory tests, and six months follow up reports were analyzed. Results: The main causes identified in the 121 patients with unilateral oculomotor nerve palsy were intracranial aneurysm (29.8%), diabetic peripheral neuropathy (26.5%), painful ophthalmoplegia (9.9%), and other causes (33.9%). The results from the six month follow up showed that in all the patients, 53.7% were fully recovered, 38.0% improved, and 8.3% had no significant change in symptoms. The results also indicated that the patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy had the best outcome with 71.9% full recovery rate, which was significantly higher than that in the patients with intracranial aneurysm (36.1%, p  < .05), and idiopathic causes (44.5%, p  < .05). Conclusions: Our data indicates that intracranial aneurysm is the leading cause of unilateral oculomotor nerve palsy, and that diabetic peripheral neuropathy has better outcome. Understanding the common causes and clinical features of unilateral oculomotor nerve paralysis is helpful for its early diagnosis and treatment.

Rationale: Isolated third nerve palsy with pupillary involvement caused by a posterior drainage carotid-cavernous sinus fistula (CCF) is relatively rare. Diagnosis of a posterior drainage CCF can often be delayed due to its unapparent congestive signs., Patient Concerns: Here, we present the case of a young male patient with right-sided CCF, who presented with right-side headache and partial third nerve palsy with pupillary involvement. The diagnosis was confirmed using time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography (TOF-MRA) and digital subtraction angiography (DSA)., Diagnoses: A right-sided CCF was detected, which was primarily supplied by the dural branch of the right middle meningeal artery and venous drainage into the right inferior petrosal sinus., Interventions: The patient was treated with transarterial coil embolization., Outcomes: At 2 months, ride-side headache was significantly improved and ptosis and limited extraocular muscle movement were partially resolved., Lessons: CCF might not always present with ocular congestion. Although uncommon, white-eye and painful third nerve palsy with pupillary involvement may be caused by a posterior drainage CCF.

Background and Purpose: The estimates on the risk of rupture of intracranial aneurysms remain a controversial topic. Circumferential aneurysmal wall enhancement (CAWE) on vessel wall magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been described in unstable aneurysms. Sentinel headaches and third nerve palsy are possible symptoms prior to the rupture of intracranial aneurysms. In this study, we aimed to demonstrate that CAWE could be associated with these symptoms., Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of consecutive symptomatic or asymptomatic patients with unruptured intracranial aneurysms who were examined by high-resolution MRI from October 2014 to November 2016. Two experienced neurovascular radiologists read the images independently and determined whether there was CAWE of the unruptured intracranial aneurysms. Then, we compared variable factors between patients with and without symptoms through univariate comparison and multivariable logistic regression analyses., Results: A total of 45 unruptured intracranial aneurysms were detected in 37 patients. The agreement between 2 experienced readers for CAWE was good (kappa = 0.82; 95% confidence interval 0.66-0.99). CAWE of unruptured intracranial aneurysm was more frequently observed in symptomatic than in asymptomatic patients (16/23, 69.6% versus 6/22, 27.3%, respectively, P < 0.05). The CAWE was the only independent factor associated with symptoms in the multivariable logistic regression analysis (odds ratio 5.17; 95% confidence interval 1.30-20.52; P = 0.02)., Conclusions: Our study demonstrates that CAWE correlated with sentinel headaches and third nerve palsy caused by unruptured aneurysms, and this may be an additional clue to distinguish the cause of these symptoms.

We herein report the case of a patient who developed peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower legs that later became complicated with isolated oculomotor nerve disorder and was finally diagnosed as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Based on the findings for oculomotor nerve paralysis and contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging findings for the oculomotor nerve in the prepontine cistern, the isolated oculomotor nerve disorder was considered to be a manifestation of peripheral neuropathy. This oculomotor nerve disorder may contribute to the diagnosis of SLE and can be effectively treated with steroid pulse therapy. Reports of SLE manifesting as isolated oculomotor nerve paralysis are rare.

Isolated traumatic oculomotor nerve (ON) palsy is an uncommon clinical presentation of mild traumatic brain injury (TBI). There are very few cases in which it has been possible to demonstrate the isolated damage of the ON by avulsion of the roots, accompanied with traumatic axonal injury and intraneural microhemorrhage. We present a 23-year-old female who, after mild TBI, began to experience right ptosis, binocular diplopia, and photophobia. Clinical examination showed a complete ophthalmoparesis of the right ON, without other neurological deficits. Neuroimaging studies demonstrated no structural compressive damage of the right ON. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with Gradient-echo and T1 weighted post-gadolinium was made, demonstrating signs of intraneural hemorrhage of the right ON, in addition to traumatic axonal injury extending from the right cerebral peduncle to the orbital fissure. Specific MRI protocols contribute as evidence of an isolated lesion to the ON., (Copyright © 2018 Sociedad Española de Neurocirugía. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Background: Oculomotor nerve palsy is occasionally a key indicator of an internal carotid posterior communicating (ICPC) artery bifurcation aneurysm. The interval between the onset of palsy and the time of surgery is considered to be the most important factor affecting recovery from oculomotor nerve palsy. We encountered a rare case of oculomotor nerve palsy due to compression by the infundibular dilatation of the posterior communicating artery (PcomA) rather than by an ICPC aneurysm., Case Description: We report the case of a 70-year-old woman who presented with pain in the left forehead and left oculomotor nerve palsy with a prominence at the bifurcation of the left internal carotid artery and PcomA on neuroradiologic imaging, indicating a small aneurysm. However, the positional relationship between the bulging lesion and PcomA was not apparent. The intraoperative microscopic view showed that the lesion was an infundibular dilatation of the PcomA rather than an aneurysm, compressing the oculomotor nerve. Microvascular decompression of the lesion resulted in the disappearance of her symptoms after 3 months., Conclusions: For the treatment of a symptomatic ICPC unruptured aneurysm, direct observation by open surgery is important when the relationship between the PcomA and aneurysm is not clear by neuroradiologic imaging., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Giant cell arteritis is the most common vasculitis in patients aged over 50 years. We report an 89-year-old woman with significant weight loss and persistent frontal-occipital headaches lasting two months. The neurological examination at admission identified a decrease in visual acuity of the left eye, paralysis of the third cranial nerve of the right eye and alterations of body motility without objective signs of damage of the motor or sensitive pathways. Magnetic resonance imaging showed changes of the temporal artery wall and in both vertebral arteries, as well as bilateral cerebellar and occipital ischemic lesions. The Doppler ultrasound of the temporal arteries was compatible with Giant cell arteritis. Treatment with steroids was started. While receiving oral prednisone, the patient suffered new infarcts of the posterior territory, documented with a CAT scan.

We herein report a patient with Miller Fisher syndrome mimicking Tolosa-Hunt syndrome. A 47-year-old man presented with right orbital pain and diplopia. On a neurological examination, he had right oculomotor nerve palsy and diminished deep tendon reflexes. Brain magnetic resonance imaging failed to show any parenchymal lesions; however, the bilateral oculomotor nerves were gadolinium-enhanced. The presence of a triad of orbital pain, ipsilateral oculomotor nerve palsy, and a rapid response to steroid therapy met the diagnostic criteria for Tolosa-Hunt syndrome. After discharge, antibodies against GQ1b and GT1a were reported to be positive only with phosphatidic acid. The present case was ultimately diagnosed as an incomplete phenotype of Miller Fisher syndrome.

Background: Schwannomas of the parasellar region may arise from the trigeminal, oculomotor, trochlear, and abducens nerves., Objective: To define the tumor origin, location, and dural relationship (extradural vs extra-intradural vs cisternal) on preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), in order to plan the best surgical approach (purely extradural vs extra-intradural)., Methods: Twenty-four patients with parasellar schwannomas who underwent surgery were retrospectively analyzed. Twenty arose from the trigeminal nerve (7 intracavernous and 13 within the Meckel's cave), 3 from the oculomotor nerve, and 1 from the abducens nerve. The preoperative identification of the tumor location (extradural vs extra-intradural vs cisternal) and the nerve of origin was defined on MR sequences. All patients were operated on through a pterional approach (extradural or extra-intradural route)., Results: The tumor location was correctly defined on MRI in 22 out of 24 cases (92%) and the nerve of origin in 22 (92%). An extradural approach without intradural exploration was performed in all 5 intracavernous trigeminal schwannomas, in 11 out of 13 of the Meckel's cave, and in 2 schwannomas of the oculomotor nerve. Two schwannomas of the Meckel's cave with transgression of the medial dural wall, 1 of the oculomotor nerve, and the abducens nerve schwannoma required an extra-intradural approach. Complete tumor resection was obtained in 19 out of 24 cases (80%)., Conclusion: The pterional extradural approach is sufficient for Dolenc type I and II trigeminal schwannomas, excepting for those transgressing the inner dural layer. Schwannomas of the oculomotor and abducens nerves with cisternal location require an extradural-intradural approach.

A 33-year-old female patient presented with diplopia and left eye ptosis 26 weeks into her first pregnancy. No investigation was conducted at the time and her symptoms subsided 4 weeks post partum. This same phenomenon occurred during second pregnancy at 20 weeks of gestation, with patient becoming symptom-free again 6 weeks after giving birth. MRI revealed a lesion in the left cavernous sinus in keeping with a meningioma. Due to the surgically challenging location, the lesion was treated with gamma knife radiosurgery. To date, the patient remains asymptomatic with no progression on follow-up imaging 9 years on., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© BMJ Publishing Group Ltd (unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.)