Transient ocular motor nerve palsies associated with presumed cranial nerve schwannomas.
BACKGROUND
Cranial nerve schwannomas are radiologically characterized by nodular cranial nerve enhancement on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Schwannomas typically present with gradually progressive symptoms, but isolated reports have suggested that schwannomas may cause fluctuating symptoms as well.


METHODS
This is a report of ten cases of presumed cranial nerve schwannoma that presented with transient or recurring ocular motor nerve deficits.


RESULTS
Schwannomas of the third, fourth, and fifth nerves resulted in fluctuating deficits of all 3 ocular motor nerves. Persistent nodular cranial nerve enhancement was present on sequential MRI studies. Several episodes of transient oculomotor (III) deficts were associated with headaches, mimicking ophthalmoplegic migraine.


CONCLUSIONS
Cranial nerve schwannomas may result in relapsing and remitting cranial nerve symptoms.
Departments of Neurology and Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences (RKS), University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; Departments of Neurology and Ophthalmology (LJM), SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York; Department of Ophthalmology (AK), University of Lausanne, Hôpital Ophtalmique Jules Gonin and Asile des Aveugles, Lausanne, Switzerland; Departments of Ophthalmology and Neurology (VAP), Indiana University Medical Center, Indianapolis, Indiana; Departments of Neurology and Ophthalmology (MLM), Thomas Jefferson University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Department of Neuro-Ophthalmology (MLM), Wills Eye Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Département de Neurosciences (DB), Université de Montréal, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
Robert K
RK
Shin
Luis J
LJ
Mejico
Aki
A
Kawasaki
Valerie A
VA
Purvin
Mark L
ML
Moster
Brian R
BR
Younge
Dan
D
Boghen
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003390:Cranial Nerve Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009442:Neurilemmoma / Q000150:complications*; D015840:Oculomotor Nerve Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D055815:Young Adult