Delayed Oculomotor Palsy from Focal Brainstem Ischemia in a Patient with a Head Injury^[*]

Introduction

Oculomotor palsy can result from trauma, tumor, cerebral aneurysm, diabetes mellitus, infection, neurodegenerative diseases, or myasthenia gravis.[3] Among these, traumatic oculomotor palsy is rare, and the majority of such cases is thought to be caused by injury of cisternal portion of the oculomotor nerve.[7] Only a few cases of traumatic oculomotor palsy are associated with a brainstem injury.[1] [2] [6] [7] We report on a patient with oculomotor palsy related to a focal ischemic lesion in the brainstem after a head injury.

^* This article was originally published online in Central European Neurosurgery on July 20, 2011 (DOI: 10.1055/s-0031-1283119)

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