Oculomotor Nerve Palsies in Intracranial Aneurysms

ABSTRACT

The authors reviewed twenty four patients with internal carotid-posterior communicating artery aneurysms with oculomotor palsy from 1976 to 1984. The incidence of third nerve palsy in the posterior communicating artery aneurysms was 37.5%(24 out of 64). The occurrence of the third nerve palsy without subarachnoid hemorrhage was 20.8%(5 out of 24). The initial degree of third nerve involvement seems to parallel the degree of recovery. Direct clipping of the aneurysm showed far better results than those of carotid ligation. The average duration of neurological recovery was 4.9 month after treatment. The order of third nerve function recovery was as followsptosis, pupil, medial gaze, and upward and downward gaze.