Ossification of the petrosphenoidal ligament: unusual variation with the potential for abducens nerve entrapment in Dorello’s canal at the skull base

2013 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 303-305 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Shane Tubbs ◽  
Amit Sharma ◽  
Marios Loukas ◽  
Aaron A. Cohen-Gadol
2010 ◽  
Vol 192 (12) ◽  
pp. 719-720 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenson C S Mak ◽  
Lawrence H Kim ◽  
Lawrence T C Ong ◽  
Triet M Bui

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. e226895
Author(s):  
Neha Khade ◽  
Simon Carrivick ◽  
Carolyn Orr ◽  
David Prentice

A 47-year-old woman presented with six episodes of horizontal binocular double vision over a 2-year period. CT imaging was significant for extensive dural calcification in the spine and calcification of the skull base, likely involving Dorello’s canal. Biochemical testing revealed a persistently low alkaline phosphatase level. Recurrent nerve palsy may possibly be induced by mechanical compression of the sixth cranial nerve in Dorello’s canal from calcification due to hypophosphatasia syndrome.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel L. Whelan ◽  
Michael McDowell ◽  
Courtney Chou ◽  
Anagha Medsinge ◽  
Jennifer Lee ◽  
...  

ORL ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Hannan A. Qureshi ◽  
Anshu Bandhlish ◽  
Robert P. DeConde ◽  
Ian M. Humphreys ◽  
Waleed M. Abuzeid ◽  
...  

A healthy man in his 30s presented with a 2-week history of severe bitemporal pain and pressure. He was initially treated for presumed acute rhinosinusitis, but his symptoms continued to worsen and underwent endoscopic sinus surgery at an outside community facility. He developed left abducens nerve palsy postoperatively, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated evidence of extensive skull base osteomyelitis. He was initiated on intravenous (IV) broad-spectrum antibiotics but was subsequently found to have prostatic and submandibular sterile fluid collections. The patient subsequently developed new right abducens and left vagal nerve palsies and underwent revision endoscopic sinus surgery. Pathology revealed extensive inflammation, necrotizing granulomas, and evidence of small and medium vessel vasculitis. Extensive laboratory workup was negative, except for anti-PR-3 antibody positivity. Given the characteristic findings on pathology and laboratory findings, the patient was diagnosed with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA). High-dose glucocorticoid therapy as well as rituximab infusion were promptly initiated. He had marked improvement in his symptoms and resolution of his right CN VI palsy but left-sided CN VI and CN X palsies persisted. This patient presented without the typical rhinologic manifestations of GPA, and rather presented with progressive sinusitis, skull base osteomyelitis with associated cranial neuropathies, and aseptic systemic abscesses. Prompt diagnosis of GPA is particularly important in those with otorhinolaryngological manifestations, as early initial immunosuppressive therapy has been linked to lower relapse and mortality rates. Vigilance and early differentiation between GPA and other forms of sinusitis is of critical importance, particularly when symptoms are refractory to standard rhinosinusitis therapies.


2018 ◽  
Vol 128 (6) ◽  
pp. 1830-1838 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan-Karl Burkhardt ◽  
Ethan A. Winkler ◽  
George F. Lasker ◽  
John K. Yue ◽  
Michael T. Lawton

OBJECTIVECompressive cranial nerve syndromes can be useful bedside clues to the diagnosis of an enlarging intracranial aneurysm and can also guide subsequent evaluation, as with an acute oculomotor nerve (cranial nerve [CN] III) palsy that is presumed to be a posterior communicating artery aneurysm and a surgical emergency until proven otherwise. The CN VI has a short cisternal segment from the pontomedullary sulcus to Dorello’s canal, remote from most PICA aneurysms but in the hemodynamic pathway of a rupturing PICA aneurysm that projects toward Dorello’s canal. The authors describe a cranial nerve syndrome for posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) aneurysms that associates subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and an isolated abducens nerve (CN VI) palsy.METHODSClinical and radiological data from 106 surgical patients with PICA aneurysms (66 ruptured and 40 unruptured) were retrospectively reviewed. Data from a group of 174 patients with other aneurysmal SAH (aSAH) were analyzed in a similar manner to control for nonspecific effects of SAH. Univariate statistical analysis compared incidence and risk factors associated with CN VI palsy in subarachnoid hemorrhage.RESULTSOverall, 13 (4.6%) of 280 patients had CN VI palsy at presentation, and all of them had ruptured aneurysms (representing 13 [5.4%] of the 240 cases of ruptured aneurysms). CN VI palsies were observed in 12 patients with ruptured PICA aneurysms (12/66 [18.1%]) and 1 patient with other aSAH (1/174 [0.1%], p < 0.0001). PICA aneurysm location in ruptured aneurysms was an independent predictor for CN VI palsy on multivariate analysis (p = 0.001). PICA aneurysm size was not significantly different in patients with or without CN VI palsy (average size 4.4 mm and 5.2 mm, respectively). Within the PICA aneurysm cohort, modified Fisher grade (p = 0.011) and presence of a thick cisternal SAH (modified Fisher Grades 3 and 4) (p = 0.003) were predictors of CN VI palsy. In all patients with ruptured PICA aneurysms and CN VI palsy, dome projection and presumed direction of rupture were directed toward the ipsilateral and/or contralateral Dorello’s canal, in agreement with laterality of the CN palsy. In patients with bilateral CN VI palsies, a medial projection with extensive subarachnoid blood was observed near bilateral canals.CONCLUSIONSThis study establishes a localizing connection between an isolated CN VI palsy, SAH, and an underlying ruptured PICA aneurysm. CN VI palsy is an important clinical sign in aSAH and when present on initial clinical presentation may be assumed to be due to ruptured PICA aneurysms until proven otherwise. The deficit may be ipsilateral, contralateral, or bilateral and is determined by the direction of the aneurysm dome projection and extent of subarachnoid bleeding toward Dorello’s canal, rather than by direct compression.


2013 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 633-636 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paolo Frassanito ◽  
Luca Massimi ◽  
Mario Rigante ◽  
Gianpiero Tamburrini ◽  
Giulio Conforti ◽  
...  

Palsy of the abducens nerve is a neurological sign that has a wide range of causes due to the nerve's extreme vulnerability. Need of immediate neuroimaging is a matter of debate in the literature, despite the risks of delaying the diagnosis of a skull base tumor. The authors present 2 cases of skull base tumors in which the patients presented with recurrent and self-remitting episodes of sixth cranial nerve palsy (SCNP). In both cases the clinical history exceeded 1 year. In a 17-year-old boy the diagnosis was made because of the onset of headache when the tumor reached a very large size. In a 12-year-old boy the tumor was incidentally diagnosed when it was still small. In both patients surgery was performed and the postoperative course was uneventful. Pathological diagnosis of the tumor was consistent with that of a chondrosarcoma in both cases. Recurrent self-remitting episodes of SCNP, resembling transitory ischemic attacks, may be the presenting sign of a skull base tumor due to the anatomical relationships of these lesions with the petroclival segment of the sixth cranial nerve. Physicians should promptly recommend neuroimaging studies if SCNP presents with this peculiar course.


2009 ◽  
Vol 151 (7) ◽  
pp. 733-738 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Shono ◽  
M. Mizoguchi ◽  
K. Yoshimoto ◽  
T. Amano ◽  
Y. Natori ◽  
...  

2012 ◽  
Vol 77 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dirk De Ridder

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. E88-E89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philippe Lavigne ◽  
Eric W Wang ◽  
Juan C Fernandez-Miranda

Abstract The optimal treatment for skull base chordomas is gross total resection followed by radiotherapy and not radiation of partially resected tumors. Supratotal resection, defined as removal beyond all involved bone and dura, is ideal but difficult to achieve.  In this video, we present the case of a 37-yr-old man with new onset of progressive cranial nerve sixth palsy and a skull base lesion compatible with clival chordoma. He underwent partial surgical resection at an outside institution via transcranial approach, with significant tumor residual at the clivus, dorsum sella, posterior clinoids, and petrous apex, extensive dural invasion, and intradural extension with attachment to the basilar artery and its long perforating branches.  Supratotal surgical resection was achieved using an endoscopic endonasal transclival approach, ipsilateral transpteryoid approach to the foramen lacerum for carotid artery mobilization, bilateral interdural transcavernous approach with posterior clinoidectomies, and con-tralateral transmaxillary approach to the petrous apex. Reconstruction was performed in a multilayer fashion with fascia lata and fat grafts, extended nasoseptal flap, a lumbar drainage for 3 d. No cerebrospinal fluid leak occurred, and the abducens nerve palsy significantly improved at 3-mo follow-up. Proton therapy is planned.  Recent advances in endoscopic endonasal surgery allow for very high rates of complete and even supratotal resection despite the challenging location. A long learning curve to acquire the technical skills and complex surgical anatomy is required to decrease complication rates and achieve maximal resection in chordomas. Reoperations are more challenging and risky; therefore, first attempt should have curative intent.  The patient signed informed consent including the use of photographic and video material for educational or academic purposes


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