Abstract

This study aimed to review and describe isolated sixth cranial nerve or abducens nerve palsy that may present with subtle ophthalmoplegia in patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA). In this systematic review following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) Extension for Scoping Reviews, MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched for all peer-reviewed articles using the keywords "cranial nerve six," "abducens nerve," and "giant cell arteritis" from their inception to December 22, 2022. Twenty-five articles, including seven observational studies and 18 cases, were included. While the incidence and prevalence of sixth nerve palsy in GCA were variable, up to 48% of diplopia in GCA were attributed to the sixth cranial nerve palsy, according to the observational studies included. While 88.2% had a resolution of symptoms with 40-50 mg/day of prednisone-equivalent corticosteroids, it took a median of 24.5 days until the resolution of symptoms from the initiation of treatment. This review summarizes the current understanding of the characteristics of sixth nerve palsy in GCA. While most patients may have reversible clinical courses, a few can suffer from persistent ophthalmoplegia, which is a potentially missed yet crucial clinical finding in GCA. Increased awareness of the sixth nerve palsy in GCA is crucial.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.