title: Chronic idiopathic inflammation of the retropharyngeal space presenting with sequential abducens palsies.
abstract: We describe a patient who presented with sequential, bilateral abducens palsies associated with a mass of the nasopharynx. Biopsy of the mass showed chronic non-specific inflammation and fibrosis. The diagnosis of idiopathic inflammatory pseudotumor was arrived at by exclusion of other known causes of inflammation of the retropharyngeal space. Magnetic resonance imaging suggested that injury to the sixth cranial nerves probably occurred as they traversed the dura and subarachnoid space overlying the clivus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville 32610.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Fanous
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Margo
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Hamed
mesh_terms: D000010:Abducens Nerve; D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003389:Cranial Nerve Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D005355:Fibrosis; D006104:Granuloma, Plasma Cell / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009304:Nasopharyngitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D009305:Nasopharynx / Q000473:pathology; D010243:Paralysis / Q000209:etiology*