Bilateral abducens nerve palsies from clivus chordoma
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Updated: Sep 22, 2026

Microvascular Decompression: Salient Surgical Principles and Technical Nuances
Published on: July 5, 2011
Abstract:
An 87-year-old male complaining of horizontal diplopia of five months duration was found to have bilateral abducens nerve palsies. The remainder of the neurologic examination was unremarkable, but neuroradiologic investigation disclosed a lesion involving the sella and sphenoid sinus, with erosion of the upper aspect of the clivus. A large chordoma was found at trans-sphenoidal surgery. This presentation is unique in that the chordoma produced bilateral sixth-nerve palsies with no other neurologic defects.
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