title: Rathke's cleft cyst presenting as bilateral abducens nerve palsy.
abstract: We present a patient with a Rathke's cleft cyst who presented with rapidly progressive bilateral 6th nerve palsy. A 20-year-old woman with a history of cleft palate, hypertension, and hydronephrotic kidneys presented with a one month history of headache, associated with dizziness and diplopia on horizontal gaze. Examination was significant for profound bilateral 6th nerve palsies. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a hypodense mass that filled the sella and compressed the right cavernous sinus without contacting the optic chiasm. Pituitary function was normal. An endoscopic, transnasal transsphenoidal resection of the lesion was performed; microscopic examination revealed a Rathke's cleft cyst. Surgical excision resulted in near complete resolution of the bilateral 6th nerve palsy. Rathke's cleft cysts are an unusual cause of bilateral sixth nerve palsy and represent a potential cause of cranial neuropathy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Endocrinology and Metabolism Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA. groverv@ccf.org
authors.forename: Vinni
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Grover
authors.forename: Amir H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Hamrahian
authors.forename: Richard A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Prayson
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Weil
mesh_terms: D000010:Abducens Nerve / Q000473:pathology; D020434:Abducens Nerve Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D000236:Adenoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D020863:Central Nervous System Cysts / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003390:Cranial Nerve Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D003397:Craniopharyngioma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult