title: Bilateral abducens nerve palsy from mild trauma with force applied at an oblique angle: a case report and review of the literature.
abstract: Traumatic bilateral abducens nerve palsy is rare. Bilateral palsy due to a force applied at an angle is even more unusual. We report a case of bilateral traumatic abducens nerve palsy without fracture after striking the right side of the face in a fall. The palsy did not improve after several months and the patient underwent successful corrective surgery. The literature on bilateral traumatic abducens nerve palsy is reviewed. Possible mechanisms are discussed, as well as a possible mechanism for traumatic bilateral abducens nerve palsy with force applied at an angle.
authors.affiliation: Neurology Research, Wilford Hall Medical Center, San Antonio, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dobbs
authors.forename: Toufic
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fakhoury
mesh_terms: D020434:Abducens Nerve Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D000058:Accidental Falls; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005151:Facial Injuries / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans