Recurrent VI cranial nerve paralysis secondary to idiopathic cavernous sinus pachymeningitis: a case report

A 55-year-old woman with a history of severe endometriosis, followed at our center for 16 years due to multiple episodes of horizontal binocular diplopia, was diagnosed with recurrent paresis of the VI cranial nerve of her right eye. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed localized pachymeningitis in her right cavernous sinus. Initial episodes were treated with botulinum toxin. Subsequently, she declined treatment during inter-crisis periods because she remains asymptomatic. Idiopathic hypertrophic pachymeningitis is a rare condition of unknown cause, characterized by chronic inflammation of the meninges resulting in localized or diffuse dural thickening. Clinical manifestations vary widely, from generalized processes with complex neurological symptoms to localized processes with monosymptomatic expression, as presented in this case.