Supranuclear ophthalmoplegia - All Information

Definition of Supranuclear ophthalmoplegia:

Supranuclear ophthalmoplegia is a condition that affects the movement of the eyes.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

This disorder occurs because the brain is sending and receiving faulty information through the nerves that control eye movement. The nerves themselves are healthy.

People who have this problem may have progressive supranuclear palsy, a disorder that affects the way the brain controls movement. A brain injury (such as stroke) also can cause supranuclear ophthalmoplegia.

Symptoms:

People with this condition are unable to move their eyes in all directions, especially looking upward.

Signs and tests:

An exam of the nervous system (neurological examination) may show:

Limited eye movements, especially vertical movements
Mild dementia
Normal vision, hearing, sensation, and voluntary control of movement
Stiff and uncoordinated movements like those of Parkinson's disease

The health care provider may do tests to rule out other diseases. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) might show shrinking of the brainstem.

Treatment:

The treatment depends on the cause of the supranuclear ophthalmoplegia.

Expectations (prognosis):

The outlook depends on the cause of the supranuclear ophthalmoplegia.

Reviewed last on: 7/10/2010
Luc Jasmin, MD, PhD, Department of Neurosurgery, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, and Department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco, CA; and David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Lang A. Parkinsonism. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier;2007:chap 433.

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