Third nerve palsy is an uncommon condition that carries significant risk of serious disease due to both the variability of its presentation and its association with intracranial aneurysms. In this article, we review the existing literature on the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management of third nerve palsy presenting to the Emergency Department.

Hutchinson (1867-68) in his 'Lectures on compression of the brain' was the first to indicate that with an acutely expanding intracranial mass, the ipsilateral pupil frequently dilated and became unresponsive to light. This he attributed to compression of the third nerve. Von Bergmann (1880) and subsequently Macewen (1887) came to similar conclusions regarding the significance of paralytic mydri...

FiG. 1. Effects of strychnine (100 tcg/kg, i.v.), mephenesin (30 mg/kg), pentobarbital (15 mg/kg), GABA (200 mg/kg) on the reflex response of the right cervical vagus nerve. In each series of record from above downwards : reflex responses to the stimulation of the left cervical vagus, great splanchnic and sciatic nerves. Strychnine (A) augmented and mephenesin (B) reduced mainly the reflex resp...

Introduction: The diagnosis and management of ocular motor nerve dysfunction varies according to the age of the patient, characteristics of the ocular motor nerve palsies, and presence of associated symptoms and signs. Purpose of the Study: To analyse the various etiology, clinical presentations, recovery pattern in patients with third, fourth, and six cranial nerve palsies in Indian population...