Intracranial causes of ophthalmoplegia: the visual reflex pathways

The gathering of visual information is a complex process that relies on concerted movements of the eyes, and cranial nerves II-VIII are at least partially involved in the visual system. The cranial nerves do not function in isolation, however, and there are multiple higher-order cortical centers that have input into the cranial nerves to coordinate eye movement. Among the functions of the cortical reflex pathways are (a) controlling vertical and horizontal gaze in response to vestibular input to keep the eyes focused on an object as the head moves through space, and (b) controlling rapid, coordinated eye movement to a new visual target (saccades). There are also reflex pathways connecting the cranial nerves involved in vision that produce consensual blinking of the eyes in response to corneal stimulation of one eye and consensual pupillary constriction in response to light input on one pupil. A variety of intracranial pathologic conditions, including benign and malignant neoplasms, infection, trauma, autoimmune diseases, vascular anomalies, degenerative diseases, and inherited-congenital disorders, can disrupt the cranial nerves and visual reflex pathways. This disruption can manifest in myriad ways-for example, as extraocular muscle paresis, afferent pupillary defect, oculosympathetic paresis (Horner syndrome), internuclear ophthalmoplegia, dorsal midbrain (Parinaud) syndrome, or loss of the corneal reflex. Knowledge of the function and anatomy of the cranial nerves and visual reflex pathways, coupled with selection of the proper magnetic resonance pulse sequence, will allow the radiologist to order appropriate imaging of the involved cranial nerve or visual reflex pathway based on the patient's symptoms and thereby play an essential role in establishing the diagnosis and planning appropriate therapy.