[Duane's syndrome--etiopathogenesis, clinical features and diagnosis]

Duane syndrome is a congenital disease also known as congenital retraction syndrome or Stilling-Turk-Duane retraction syndrome. There are three types of Duane syndrome; their variability is given by the aberrant innervation of the lateral rectus muscle. The symptoms of the disease were described and they are all known, but the etiology and the pathology remain unclear. Although Duane syndrome was considered as a pure local myogenic phenomenon (the lateral rectus muscle fibrosis), the modern theory is the absence of the abducens nuclei. Various theories have been put forward on the basis of data collected from surgical, autopsy and electromyography studies. The most frequent and terrifying differential diagnosis is the VI nerve palsy and the symptoms of Duane syndrome suggest an intracranial disease, so we understand the parents and patient fear. That's why is very important to explain them the causes and the consequences of the disease and to educate the patients to obtain the optimal functional and mental comfort. Finally, we have in mind one, at least subjective, question: why is the abducens nerve nucleus affected and how?