Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 6, 2026

Minimally Invasive Surgical Decompression of Occipital Nerves
Published on: September 13, 2024
[Three cases of abducens nerve palsy accompanied by Horner syndrome]
Mami Hirao1, Hidehiro Oku, Jun Sugasawa
1Department of Ophthalmology, Osaka Medical College. 2-7 Daigaku-cho, Takatsuki 569-8686, Japan. ma-mi-0918@m5.dion.ne.jp
Purpose:
To report three cases of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, exhibiting abducens nerve palsy and Horner syndrome during the medical treatment of the tumor, whose invasive cavernous sinus lesions could be detected.
Subjects:
The patients were two men and one woman who were referred to our department with complaints of diplopia during the clinical course of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
Results:
Right abducens nerve palsy, Horner syndrome, and impairment of the 1st division of the trigeminal nerve were recognized in all patients. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed invasive lesions in the right cavernous sinus in all three patients, with iso-intensity on T1-weighted images, which were enhanced by gadolinium.
Conclusions:
The abducens and sympathetic nerves run closely together in the cavernous sinus. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is apt to invade the cavernous sinus and often impairs the abducens nerve. Therefore the presence of Horner syndrome and trigeminal palsy in combination with abducens nerve palsy should be cautiously investigated to confirm the existence of the cavernous sinus lesions.
Related Concept Videos
Cranial Nerves: Types Part I
Olfactory Nerve (Cranial Nerve I)
The olfactory nerve, or cranial nerve I, is unique as it is purely sensory and dedicated to the sense of smell. This nerve originates in the olfactory epithelium of the...
Accessory Structures of the Eye
Muscles of the Eye
Extraocular Muscles
The six extraocular muscles surround the eyeball and control its movements. They are responsible for a wide range of eye motions, including looking up, down, left, right, and rotating...
Angle Closure Glaucoma: Treatment
Cranial Nerves: Overview and Anatomy
Glaucoma: Overview