Spontaneous recovery rate in traumatic sixth-nerve palsy.
OBJECTIVE
To estimate the spontaneous recovery rate of isolated traumatic sixth-nerve palsy.


METHODS
A retrospective chart review over a 24-year period at a single institution, excluding patients who were first seen more than 6 weeks after injury, to reduce bias toward nonrecovery.


RESULTS
The Kaplan-Meier survival estimate of spontaneous recovery at 6 months was 27% (95% confidence interval [CI], 5% to 44%) in unilateral traumatic sixth-nerve palsy and 12% (95% CI, 0% to 33%) in bilateral traumatic sixth-nerve palsy.


CONCLUSIONS
Spontaneous recovery from isolated traumatic sixth-nerve palsy may be lower than previously reported. A prospective study is needed to provide a more accurate estimate of recovery rate.
Mutyala
S
S
Department of Ophthalmology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
Holmes
J M
JM
Hodge
D O
DO
Younge
B R
BR
D020222:Abducens Nerve Injury; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003389:Cranial Nerve Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008875:Middle Aged; D010243:Paralysis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012075:Remission, Spontaneous; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate