title: Ocular palsies in the absence of other neurological or ocular symptoms: analysis of 105 cases.
abstract: We studied prospectively 105 unselected patients complaining of ptosis and/or diplopia due to extrinsic ophthalmic muscle palsies without other neurological signs. All patients underwent the same diagnostic protocol. The presenting symptoms were: ptosis, 35 patients (33%); diplopia, 27 patients (26%); ptosis and diplopia, 43 patients (41%). The oculomotor nerve was most frequently involved, followed by the abducens nerve. The final diagnoses were: ocular myasthenia, intracranial and/or orbital pathology, thyroid ophthalmopathy, diabetic ophthalmoplegia, mitochondrial myopathy, oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy. In 26 patients (25%) the cause remained undetermined. Our study confirms the difficulty of establishing an aetiological diagnosis in patients with isolated ocular palsies.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neurology, Catholic University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Batocchi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Evoli
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Majolini
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lo Monaco
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Padua
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ricci
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dickman
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tonali
mesh_terms: D000010:Abducens Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001763:Blepharoptosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D002648:Child; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004172:Diplopia / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015835:Ocular Motility Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D015840:Oculomotor Nerve Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D010243:Paralysis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D011446:Prospective Studies