Long-term prognoi in patient with vaculopathic ixth nerve paly

PURPOE: To better define the long-term prognoi in patient with a vaculopathic ixth nerve paly (6NP), pecifically addreing the degree of recovery and incidence of recurrent imilar epiode. DEIGN: Obervational cae erie. METHOD: Retropective chart review. ETTING: An outpatient neuroophthalmic practice. TUDY POPULATION: Patient with one or more vacular rik factor and an acute, iolated 6NP that pontaneouly recovered. OBERVATION PROCEDURE: Information regarding reolution of the 6NP, ubequent vacular event and recurrent ocular motor nerve paly wa obtained from chart review of follow-up clinic viit, mailed quetionnaire and telephone interview. The duration of follow-up ranged from 2 to 13 year. MAIN OUTCOME MEAURE: Reolution of 6NP (complete or incomplete) and incidence of recurrent ocular motor nerve paly. REULT: Fifty-nine patient were identified with a mean age of 65.3 year ± 11.6 (range 34–90 year). Fifty-one patient (86%) experienced complete reolution of their firt epiode of vaculopathic 6NP and eight patient (14%) had incomplete reolution. A ubequent epiode of ocular motor mononeuropathy occurred in 18 of 59 (31%) patient. The number of recurrence ranged from one (in 14 patient) to four (in one patient). There wa no aociation between any rik factor and recurrence of ocular motor nerve paly. imilarly, incomplete reolution of the vaculopathic 6NP wa not aociated with any rik factor. CONCLUION: Patient with a vaculopathic 6NP uually have complete reolution of their ophthalmoplegia, but nearly one third of patient in our tudy later experienced at leat one epiode of recurrent vaculopathic ocular motor nerve paly.