Bilateral abducent palsy in leptospirosis- an eye opener to a rare neuro ocular manifestation: a case report

ABSTRACT

Leptospirosis, a disease of great significance in tropical countries, presents commonly as a biphasic illness with acute febrile episode in the first phase followed by a brief afebrile period and then by the second phase of fever with or without jaundice and renal failure. However, it has varied manifestations and unusual clinical features ascribed to immunological phenomena can occur due to the additional involvement of pulmonary, cardiovascular, and neurological systems. Among the various neurological features, aseptic meningitis is the most common myeloradiculopathy, myelopathy, cerebellar dysfunction, transverse myelitis, Guillain-Barre syndrome, optic neuritis, peripheral neuropathy are also described. Cranial neuropathy involving facial nerve is a rare, but known neurological manifestation. Sixth nerve palsy in neuroleptospirosis has so far not been reported. We hereby present the occurrence of bilateral abducent nerve palsy in a patient with leptospirosis