Biomaterial Database

Multiple cranial neuropathies. 2009

Craig G Carroll, and William W Campbell

Department of Neurology, Naval Medical Center, Portsmouth, Virginia 23708, USA. craig.carroll@med.navy.mil

Patients presenting with multiple cranial neuropathies are not uncommon in neurologic clinical practice. The evaluation of these patients can often be overwhelming due to the vast and complicated etiologies as well as the potential for devastating neurologic outcomes. Dysfunction of the cranial nerves can occur anywhere in their course from intrinsic brainstem dysfunction to their peripheral courses. The focus of this review will be on the extramedullary causes of multiple cranial neuropathies as discussion of the brainstem syndromes is more relevant when considering intrinsic disorders of the brainstem. The goals are to provide the reader with an overview of those extramedullary conditions that have a predilection for causing multiple cranial nerve palsies. In turn, this will serve to provide a practical and systematic approach to allow for a more targeted diagnostic evaluation of this, often cumbersome, presentation.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008581	Meningitis	Inflammation of the coverings of the brain and/or spinal cord, which consist of the PIA MATER; ARACHNOID; and DURA MATER. Infections (viral, bacterial, and fungal) are the most common causes of this condition, but subarachnoid hemorrhage (HEMORRHAGES, SUBARACHNOID), chemical irritation (chemical MENINGITIS), granulomatous conditions, neoplastic conditions (CARCINOMATOUS MENINGITIS), and other inflammatory conditions may produce this syndrome. (From Joynt, Clinical Neurology, 1994, Ch24, p6)	Pachymeningitis,Meningitides,Pachymeningitides
D001847	Bone Diseases	Diseases of BONES.	Bone Disease,Disease, Bone,Diseases, Bone
D001933	Brain Stem	The part of the brain that connects the CEREBRAL HEMISPHERES with the SPINAL CORD. It consists of the MESENCEPHALON; PONS; and MEDULLA OBLONGATA.	Brainstem,Truncus Cerebri,Brain Stems,Brainstems,Cerebri, Truncus,Cerebrus, Truncus,Truncus Cerebrus
D002545	Brain Ischemia	Localized reduction of blood flow to brain tissue due to arterial obstruction or systemic hypoperfusion. This frequently occurs in conjunction with brain hypoxia (HYPOXIA, BRAIN). Prolonged ischemia is associated with BRAIN INFARCTION.	Cerebral Ischemia,Ischemic Encephalopathy,Encephalopathy, Ischemic,Ischemia, Cerebral,Brain Ischemias,Cerebral Ischemias,Ischemia, Brain,Ischemias, Cerebral,Ischemic Encephalopathies
D002908	Chronic Disease	Diseases which have one or more of the following characteristics: they are permanent, leave residual disability, are caused by nonreversible pathological alteration, require special training of the patient for rehabilitation, or may be expected to require a long period of supervision, observation, or care (Dictionary of Health Services Management, 2d ed). For epidemiological studies chronic disease often includes HEART DISEASES; STROKE; CANCER; and diabetes (DIABETES MELLITUS, TYPE 2).	Chronic Condition,Chronic Illness,Chronically Ill,Chronic Conditions,Chronic Diseases,Chronic Illnesses,Condition, Chronic,Disease, Chronic,Illness, Chronic
D003389	Cranial Nerve Diseases	Disorders of one or more of the twelve cranial nerves. With the exception of the optic and olfactory nerves, this includes disorders of the brain stem nuclei from which the cranial nerves originate or terminate.	Cranial Neuropathies,Cranial Neuropathies, Multiple,Neuropathies, Cranial,Cranial Nerve Disorders,Cranial Nerve Palsies,Nervus Cranialis Disorders,Cranial Nerve Disease,Cranial Nerve Disorder,Cranial Nerve Palsy,Cranial Neuropathy,Cranial Neuropathy, Multiple,Multiple Cranial Neuropathies,Multiple Cranial Neuropathy,Nervus Cranialis Disorder,Neuropathies, Multiple Cranial,Neuropathy, Cranial,Neuropathy, Multiple Cranial,Palsies, Cranial Nerve,Palsy, Cranial Nerve
D003391	Cranial Nerves	Twelve pairs of nerves that carry general afferent, visceral afferent, special afferent, somatic efferent, and autonomic efferent fibers.	Cranial Nerve,Nerve, Cranial,Nerves, Cranial
D003937	Diagnosis, Differential	Determination of which one of two or more diseases or conditions a patient is suffering from by systematically comparing and contrasting results of diagnostic measures.	Diagnoses, Differential,Differential Diagnoses,Differential Diagnosis
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D014947	Wounds and Injuries	Damage inflicted on the body as the direct or indirect result of an external force, with or without disruption of structural continuity.	Injuries,Physical Trauma,Trauma,Injuries and Wounds,Injuries, Wounds,Research-Related Injuries,Wounds,Wounds and Injury,Wounds, Injury,Injury,Injury and Wounds,Injury, Research-Related,Physical Traumas,Research Related Injuries,Research-Related Injury,Trauma, Physical,Traumas,Wound