Cranial mononeuropathy III - compression type

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Central nervous system

Third cranial nerve palsy; Oculomotor palsy; Pupil-involving third cranial nerve palsy

Some people get better without treatment. Treating the cause (if it can be found) may relieve the symptoms in many cases.

Treatment may include:

• Corticosteroid medications to reduce swelling and relieve pressure on the nerve
• Eye patch or glasses with prisms to reduce double vision
• Pain medications
• Surgery to treat eyelid drooping or eyes that are not aligned

Some cranial nerve dysfunctions will respond to treatment. A few cases result in some permanent loss of function.

Causes such as brain swelling due to a tumor or stroke or a brain aneurysm may be life-threatening.

• Permanent eyelid drooping
• Permanent vision changes

Call your health care provider if you have double vision and it doesn't go away in a few minutes, especially if you also have eyelid drooping.

Review Date: 06/15/2010
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; and Daniel B. Hoch, PhD, MD, Assistant Professor of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).

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