Isolated oculomotor nerve palsy inspontaneous internal carotid artery dissection: case report

Partial oculosympathetic palsy followed by ischemic manifestations in brain or retina are the main symptoms of extracranial internal carotid artery (ICA) dissection. Unusually, cranial nerves may be affected. Isolated oculomotor nerve palsy is found only rarely. CASE: We present a 50-year-old nondia...

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Main Authors: Cynthia Resende Campos, Ayrton Roberto Massaro, Milberto Scaff
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Thieme Revinter Publicações 2003-09-01
Series:Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria
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Online Access:http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0004-282X2003000400027&tlng=en
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author Cynthia Resende Campos
Ayrton Roberto Massaro
Milberto Scaff
author_facet Cynthia Resende Campos
Ayrton Roberto Massaro
Milberto Scaff
author_sort Cynthia Resende Campos
collection DOAJ
description Partial oculosympathetic palsy followed by ischemic manifestations in brain or retina are the main symptoms of extracranial internal carotid artery (ICA) dissection. Unusually, cranial nerves may be affected. Isolated oculomotor nerve palsy is found only rarely. CASE: We present a 50-year-old nondiabetic man who experienced acute onset of right occipital headache which spread to the right retro-orbital region. Five days later he noticed diplopia and right blurred vision sensation. Neurologic examination disclosed only impaired adduction and upward gaze of right eye, slight ipsilateral pupillary dilatation, without ptosis. Brain MRI was normal. Angiography showed right internal carotid artery dissection with forward occlusion to the base of the skull. Intravenous heparin followed by warfarin was prescribed. The headache and the oculomotor nerve deficit gradually resolved in the next three weeks. DISCUSSION: Isolated oculomotor nerve palsy is underrecognized as a clinical presentation of extracranial ICA dissection. If the angiographic evaluation is incomplete without careful study of extracranial arteries, misdiagnosis may lead to failure to initiate early treatment to prevent thromboembolic complications. For this reason we draw attention to the need for careful evaluation of cervical arteries in patients with oculomotor nerve palsy. Mechanical compression or stretching of the third nerve are possible mechanisms, but the direct impairment of the blood supply to the third nerve seems to be the most plausible explanation.
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spelling doaj-art-0cd3e9d287454105beac94c18768e8712025-08-20T02:03:00ZengThieme Revinter PublicaçõesArquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria1678-42272003-09-01613A66867010.1590/S0004-282X2003000400027Isolated oculomotor nerve palsy inspontaneous internal carotid artery dissection: case reportCynthia Resende Campos0Ayrton Roberto Massaro1Milberto Scaff2Universidade de São PauloUniversidade de São PauloUniversidade de São PauloPartial oculosympathetic palsy followed by ischemic manifestations in brain or retina are the main symptoms of extracranial internal carotid artery (ICA) dissection. Unusually, cranial nerves may be affected. Isolated oculomotor nerve palsy is found only rarely. CASE: We present a 50-year-old nondiabetic man who experienced acute onset of right occipital headache which spread to the right retro-orbital region. Five days later he noticed diplopia and right blurred vision sensation. Neurologic examination disclosed only impaired adduction and upward gaze of right eye, slight ipsilateral pupillary dilatation, without ptosis. Brain MRI was normal. Angiography showed right internal carotid artery dissection with forward occlusion to the base of the skull. Intravenous heparin followed by warfarin was prescribed. The headache and the oculomotor nerve deficit gradually resolved in the next three weeks. DISCUSSION: Isolated oculomotor nerve palsy is underrecognized as a clinical presentation of extracranial ICA dissection. If the angiographic evaluation is incomplete without careful study of extracranial arteries, misdiagnosis may lead to failure to initiate early treatment to prevent thromboembolic complications. For this reason we draw attention to the need for careful evaluation of cervical arteries in patients with oculomotor nerve palsy. Mechanical compression or stretching of the third nerve are possible mechanisms, but the direct impairment of the blood supply to the third nerve seems to be the most plausible explanation.http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0004-282X2003000400027&tlng=enthird nerveoculomotor palsycarotid arterydissectionangiography
spellingShingle Cynthia Resende Campos
Ayrton Roberto Massaro
Milberto Scaff
Isolated oculomotor nerve palsy inspontaneous internal carotid artery dissection: case report
Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria
third nerve
oculomotor palsy
carotid artery
dissection
angiography
title Isolated oculomotor nerve palsy inspontaneous internal carotid artery dissection: case report
title_full Isolated oculomotor nerve palsy inspontaneous internal carotid artery dissection: case report
title_fullStr Isolated oculomotor nerve palsy inspontaneous internal carotid artery dissection: case report
title_full_unstemmed Isolated oculomotor nerve palsy inspontaneous internal carotid artery dissection: case report
title_short Isolated oculomotor nerve palsy inspontaneous internal carotid artery dissection: case report
title_sort isolated oculomotor nerve palsy inspontaneous internal carotid artery dissection case report
topic third nerve
oculomotor palsy
carotid artery
dissection
angiography
url http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0004-282X2003000400027&tlng=en
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AT ayrtonrobertomassaro isolatedoculomotornervepalsyinspontaneousinternalcarotidarterydissectioncasereport
AT milbertoscaff isolatedoculomotornervepalsyinspontaneousinternalcarotidarterydissectioncasereport