Case Report: Pupil-Sparing Third Nerve Palsy Due to Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

The symptoms and diagnosis of di­abetic oculomotor ophthalmoplegia are examined in a case study. The patient had a right ptosis with di­plopia and paresis o all muscles sub­served by the oculomotor nerve. Tests for diabetes were positive and patient was placed on therapy to control dia­betes, with resolution of palsy three months after initiation of treatment.
Diabetic ophthalmoplegia is a form of ischemic neuropathy that could be elicited from metabolic or vascular causes. Differential diag­nosis is essential to rule out aneu­rysms and myasthenia gravis. The cardinal sign of diabetic palsy is the sparing of pupillary function. The case points out the importance of a careful case history to determine the cause of the condition.