[CASE SERIES OF EARLY NEUROIMAGING IN PATIENTS WITH VASCULAR RISK FACTORS AND ISOLATED SIX CRANIAL NERVE PALSY, DEMONSTRATING THE DILEMMA OF EARLY IMAGING].

INTRODUCTION: There are various etiologies for isolated third, fourth and sixth cranial nerve palsies. The most common etiology in adults aged 50 years and older with vascular risk factors such as diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and hyperlipidemia, is microvascular ischemia. The role of early neuroimaging in older patients with vascular risk factors presenting with acute isolated ocular motor nerve palsy is controversial. AIMS: We present six cases of patients aged 50 years and older, with vascular risk factors, who suffered from acute isolated paralysis of the sixth nerve. All cases were diagnosed with a non-microvascular ischemia etiology. RESULTS: The identified etiologies included petroclival meningioma with involvement of the cavernous sinus, metastatic hepatoma, plasmacytoma, venous thrombosis, arterial-venous malformation and aneurysm. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the high cost and presumed low yield, early neuroimaging can change the clinical management in certain cases. DISCUSSION: Previous studies have found the yield of early neuroimaging in older vasculopathic patients with acute 4th or 6th cranial nerve palsies to be 1-15%. In spite of these reports, our cases demonstrate the need for early onset imaging in these cases.