Foville Syndrome Due to Pontine Hemorrhage and Pontine Infarct: Case Series

Foville Syndrome is a rare clinical feature of stroke or brain hemorrhage. Few cases have been reported worldwide particularly in Asian, Indonesia, Aceh. Patient 1: We report the case of a female 64 years old patient, was admitted in the Neurology Department of Dr. Zainoel Abidin General Hospital, Banda Aceh, Indonesia, for an abrupt onset of right body side weakness two day before admission. That weakness was preceded by acute headaches and rotatory vertigo with vomiting. with hypertension history since 5 years. Physical examination found paralysis of right oculomotor movements with intact response of pupils to light, right trochlear nerve palsy, left ipsilateral facial nerve palsy, and right hemiparesis which constitute of Foville syndrome. The brain CT scan shown in the right pontine hypodensity area is pontine infarct. Etiological investigations done to chronic hypertension. Patient received antiplatelet therapy and control of vascular risk factors for secondary prevention (hypertension theraphy), and physiotherapy as treatment with clinical improvement. And she has been discharge 8 days later. Patient 2: 45-year-old right-handed female, was admitted in the Neurology Department of Dr. Zainoel Abidin General Hospital, Banda Aceh, Indonesia, for an abrupt onset of right body side weakness two day before admission. That weakness was preceded by acute headaches and rotatory vertigo with vomiting. with hypertension history since 5 years. Physical examination found paralysis of right oculomotor movements with intact response of pupils to light, right trochlear nerve palsy, left ipsilateral facial nerve palsy, and right hemiparesis which constitute of Foville syndrome. The brain CT scan shown spontaneous hemorrhage in the left pontine’s. Etiological investigations done to chronic hypertension. Patient received therapy control of vascular risk factors for secondary prevention (hypertension theraphy), and physiotherapy as treatment with clinical improvement. And she has been discharge 10 days later. The diagnosis and management of brainstem stroke bring a considerable burden to the healthcare system, the patient, the family members, and the society at large. The slow increase in the global burden of stroke has been steadily increasing.

Percutaneous radiofrequency treatment of the gasserian ganglion for trigeminal neuralgia complicated by trochlear nerve palsy: a case report

BackgroundTrigeminal neuralgia (TN) has the highest incidence of disorders causing facial pain. TN is provoked by benign stimuli, like shaving, leading to severe, short-lasting pain. Patients are initially treated using antiepileptic drugs; however, multiple invasive options are available when conservative treatment proves insufficient. Percutaneous radiofrequency treatment of the trigeminal, or gasserian, ganglion (RF-G) is a procedure regularly used in refractory patients with comorbidities. RF-G involves complex needle maneuvering to perform selective radiofrequency heat treatment of the affected divisions. We present a unique case of cranial nerve 4 (CN4) paralysis after RF-G.Case presentationA male patient in his 60s presented with sharp left-sided facial pain and was diagnosed with TN, attributed to the maxillary and mandibular divisions. MRI showed a vascular loop of the anterior inferior cerebellar artery without interference of the trigeminal complex. The patient opted for RF-G after inadequate conservative therapy. The procedure was performed by an experienced pain physician and guided by live fluoroscopy. The patient was discharged without problems but examined the following day for double vision. Postprocedural MRI showed enhanced signaling between the trigeminal complex and the brainstem. Palsy of CN4 was identified by a neurologist, and spontaneous recovery followed 5 months after the procedure.ConclusionsMention of postprocedural diplopia in guidelines is brief, and the exact incidence remains unknown. Different mechanisms for cranial nerve (CN) palsy have been postulated: incorrect technique, anatomical variations, and secondary heat injury. We observed postprocedural hemorrhage and hypothesized that bleeding might be a contributing factor in injury of CNs after RF-G.

Skull Base Metastasis of Breast Cancer With Oculomotor and Trochlear Nerve Palsy

Skull base metastatic tumors are rare. Breast cancer in particular can cause bone metastases after a long period of time. A 70-year-old woman presented with multiple cranial nerve palsy. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a lesion that extended from the orbit to the base of the skull, and the patient was referred to our department. Ophthalmological evaluation showed left visual acuity impairment, left oculomotor nerve palsy, and left trochlear nerve palsy. Endoscopic biopsy performed 5 years after the completion of breast cancer treatment revealed skull base metastases. In unilateral multiple cranial nerve palsy, the possibility of skull base metastases should be considered.