Causes and Natural Course of the Sixth Cranial Nerve Palsy

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To evaluate the causes and natural course of sixth nerve palsy. METHODS: The records of 37 patients with the sixth nerve palsy were reviewed to analyze the age of onset, etiology, angle of deviation, natural course of the palsy, and percentage of intervention. RESULTS: The mean age of onset was 38.3 (3~77) years old. Causes and associations were head trauma (n=11, 30%), idiopathic cause (n=9, 24%), neoplasm (n=7, 19%), aneurysm (n=2, 5%), and others (n=8, 22%). Complete recovery was observed in 80% of patients with nonhemorrhagic trauma and 33.3% with hemorrhagic trauma; 78% of patients with idiopathic cause; and 42.9% of patients with neoplasm. CONCLUSIONS: Head trauma was the most common cause of the sixth nerve palsy. Spontaneous complete recovery was observed in 80% of nonhemorrhagic trauma and 78% of idiopathic cases.