title: Absence of the abducens nerve in Duane syndrome verified by magnetic resonance imaging.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To demonstrate that currently available magnetic resonance imaging techniques may verify the absence of the abducens nerve in Duane syndrome.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed magnetic resonance imaging in a 36-year-old woman with left Duane syndrome, type 1, using spoiled gradient recalled acquisition in the steady state to obtain high-resolution T1-weighted images through the abducens nerve in its subarachnoid segment. Scans were obtained in the axial plane from the medulla to the midbrain and then reformatted along the plane of the abducens nerve.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Unilateral absence of the left abducens nerve was verified using magnetic resonance imaging.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The absence of the abducens nerve in Duane syndrome can be verified by modern magnetic resonance imaging techniques.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco 94143-0350, USA.
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Parsa
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Grant
authors.forename: W P
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Dillon
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: du Lac
authors.forename: W F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Hoyt
mesh_terms: D000010:Abducens Nerve / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D003389:Cranial Nerve Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D004370:Duane Retraction Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D005124:Eye Abnormalities / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging