Ophthalmople gic cranial neuropathy: clinical case

Abstract

Ophthalmoplegic cranial neuropathy (OCN) is a disease with unknown etiology, which manifests itself by episodes of intense headache, accompanied by completely or partially reversible dysfunction of the oculomotor nerve: ptosis, mydriasis and ophthalmoplegia. It is assumed that the pathology is demyelinating in nature, therefore in the International classification of headaches OCN excluded from rubric migraine and related to the painful cranial neuropathies. The question of the prevention and treatment of this disease is still controversial, the issue of the appointment of corticosteroids, calcium channel blockers and β-blockers, methods of surgical correction of strabismus and botulin therapy. The article describes OCN in an 11-year-old boy. In the clinical picture headache attacks were observed. These attacks were with signs of selective lesions of the oculomotor nerve on one side. These functional changes are recurrent, and fully regress between attacks. Laboratory and instrumental examinations revealed no pathology that could cause this symptom, including myasthenia. The described case demonstrates the classical picture of OCN with a favorable course and the partial damage of the oculomotor nerve on one side.