Ocular Motility Part 1:
Evaluation & Cranial Nerve Palsies
Karl C. Golnik, MD
Professor & Chairman
Department of Ophthalmology
University of Cincinnati &
The Cincinnati Eye Institute
Objectives
1. Describe pertinent portions of the
history and exam.
2. Describe approach to patient with
ocular motor cranial nerve palsy.
The most important question for the
patient with double vision is?
1. Is there pain?
2. When did it start?
3. Does it go away when
you cover each eye?
4. Is it present at distance
and near?
Diplopia
3 Essential Questions
1. Monocular or binocular?
2. Horizontal or not?
3. Comitant or not?
Diplopia
Monocular
uncorrected astigmatism
corneal scar
cataract
subluxed lens / implant
epiretinal membrane
palinopsia
Diplopia
Monocular - Assessment
pinholepinhole
refraction
corneal topography
slit lamp exam
funduscopy
Monocular Diplopia
Dr. Golnik
Diplopia
3 Essential Questions
1. Monocular or binocular?
2. Horizontal or not?
3. Comitant or not?
Diplopia
3 Essential Questions
1. Monocular or binocular?
2. Horizontal or not?
3. Comitant or not?
Diplopia
Fellow Travelers
• levator
• pupils
• orbital signs
• head position
Ocular Motility
Ductions - excursion of one eye
Versions - excursions of both eyes
Comitant - same degree of misalignment in
all gazes.
Diplopia
esotropia (ET) - eyes turn ET
in
exotropia (XT) - eyes turn
out XT
hypertropia (HT) -
vertically RHT
misaligned
Diplopia
Pattern of ocular
alignment is essential
to the diagnosis.
Assessment of Misalignment
Objective Methods
• cover - uncover (tropia) + prism
• cross - cover (phoria) + prism
• Hirschberg (I don’t want to hear
it!)
Esotropia
Diplopia
Binocular
fusional
muscle
myo-neural jct
nerve
inter/supra nuclear
Diplopia
Binocular - Fusional
decompensated phoria (comitant)
divergence insufficiency
convergence insufficiency
Diplopia
33-yo-wm c/o diplopia
binocular, horizontal, same in all directions
worse when tired
exam: full d/v, 14 Prism diopter XT in primary,
comitant
DX: broken down congenital phoria
Diplopia
• 69-yo-woman c/o diplopia
• binocular, horizontal, only in
the distance
• exam: full d/v, 6 Prism diopter
ET distance, ortho near,
comitant
Diagnosis?
1. Convergence Insufficiency
2. Divergence Insufficiency
3. 6th nerve palsy
4. Myasthenia Gravis
Oculomotor Nerve (IIIrd)
• parasympathetics - cil body/iris
sphincter
• levator palpebre
• inf, sup, med recti, inf oblique
This patient has
1. Myasthenia Gravis
2. Graves Disease
3. L 3rd nerve palsy
4. L 4th n palsy
A L 4th nucleus lesion causes
1. Left hypertropia
2. Right hypertropia
3. Incyclotorsion
4. None of the
above
Tiny RHT
Bigger RHT
straight
RHT
straight
ET in R gaze
The patient on the preceding slide most
likely has:
1. Microvascular (DM, HTN) 6th nerve palsy
2. Compressive 6th nerve palsy
3. Myasthenia Gravis
4. Giant Cell Arteritis
Check other adjacent CNs
Also a L RAPD is present.
Orbital apex syndrome: CN II & CN III, IV, V, VI
Ocular Motility Part 1: Summary
1. Differentiate monocular from binocular
diplopia immediately!
2. Determine the pattern of misalignment.
3. Check fellow travelers (lids, pupils).
4. Not all cranial nerve palsies are complete.
Thank-you for your attention.