Isolated sixth-nerve palsies in younger adults.
Acquired sixth-nerve palsies are relatively rare in younger adults. We reexamined 49 patients, aged from 15 to 50 years, with isolated sixth-nerve palsies who were seen between 1972 and 1982 at the Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia. In this group, the following etiologies were encountered: vasculopathy (14 patients [29%]), tumors (eight patients [16%]), multiple sclerosis (six patients [12%]), presumed inflammation (four patients [8%]), trauma (three patients [6%]), postlumbar puncture (two patients [4%]), and orbital amyloidosis (one patient [2%]). Eleven patients (22%) had no determined cause of their sixth-nerve palsy. The implications for the clinical management of isolated sixth-nerve palsies in younger adults are discussed.
D000010:Abducens Nerve; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000686:Amyloidosis / Q000150:complications; D003925:Diabetic Angiopathies / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000150:complications; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D009886:Ophthalmoplegia / Q000150:complications; D009916:Orbital Diseases / Q000150:complications; D010243:Paralysis / Q000209:etiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012887:Skull Fractures / Q000150:complications; D013129:Spinal Puncture / Q000009:adverse effects