title: Isolated palsy of the superior branch of the oculomotor nerve due to chronic erosive sphenoid sinusitis.
abstract: We report one case with isolated unilateral superior branch oculomotor nerve palsy due to an erosive sphenoid sinusitis. Within 8 weeks after surgical drainage of the sphenoid sinusitis, the patient recovered fully from the superior branch oculomotor palsy. In view of the dramatic clinical improvement that followed surgery, we hypothesized a compression of the superior branch of the oculomotor nerve by the sphenoidal abscess. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of a superior branch oculomotor nerve palsy related to an erosive sinusitis and cured by sinusotomy, a safe and simple surgical procedure. Thus, we believe that our observation bears some practical implications of clinical importance in the management of patients who present partial oculomotor nerve palsy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, College of Physician & Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Stefanis
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Przedborski
mesh_terms: D000038:Abscess / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001763:Blepharoptosis / Q000209:etiology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015840:Oculomotor Nerve Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D013101:Sphenoid Sinus / Q000473:pathology; D015524:Sphenoid Sinusitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed