Third cranial nerve palsy; Oculomotor palsy; Pupil-involving third cranial nerve palsy; Mononeuropathy - compression type DefinitionCranial mononeuropathy III is a nerve disorder. It affects the function of the third cranial nerve. As a result, the person may have double vision and eyelid drooping. CausesMononeuropathy means that only one nerve is affected. This disorder affects the third cranial nerve in the skull. This is one of the cranial nerves that control eye movement. Causes may include:
In rare cases, people with migraine headaches have a temporary problem with the oculomotor nerve. This is probably due to a spasm of the blood vessels. In some cases, no cause can be found. People with diabetes may also develop a neuropathy of the third nerve. SymptomsSymptoms may include:
Other symptoms may occur if the cause is a tumor or swelling of the brain. Decreasing alertness is serious, because it could be a sign of brain damage or impending death. Exams and TestsAn eye examination may show:
Your health care provider will do a complete examination to find out if other parts of the nervous system are affected. Depending on the suspected cause, you may need:
You may need to be referred to a doctor who specializes in vision problems related to the nervous system (neuro-ophthalmologist). TreatmentSome people get better without treatment. Treating the cause (if it can be found) may relieve the symptoms. Other treatments to relieve symptoms may include:
Outlook (Prognosis)Some people will respond to treatment. In a few others, permanent eye drooping or loss of eye movement will occur. Causes such as brain swelling due to a tumor or stroke, or a brain aneurysm may be life threatening. When to Contact a Medical ProfessionalContact your provider if you have double vision and it does not go away in a few minutes, especially if you also have eyelid drooping. PreventionQuickly treating disorders that could press on the nerve may reduce the risk of developing cranial mononeuropathy III. ReferencesRucker JC, Seay MD. Cranial neuropathies. In: Jankovic J, Mazziotta JC, Pomeroy SL, Newman NJ, eds. Bradley and Daroff's Neurology in Clinical Practice. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 103. Tamhankar MA. Eye movement disorders: third, fourth, and sixth nerve palsies and other causes of diplopia and ocular misalignment. In: Liu GT, Volpe NJ, Galetta SL, eds. Liu, Volpe, and Galetta's Neuro-Ophthalmology. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2019:chap 15. Wallenstein J. Brain and cranial nerve disorders. In: Walls RM, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 91. | |
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Review Date: 6/13/2024 Reviewed By: Joseph V. Campellone, MD, Department of Neurology, Cooper Medical School at Rowan University, Camden, NJ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997- A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. | |
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Central nervous sy...
