Cavernous sinus syndrome

Cavernous sinus syndromes refer to constellations of clinical signs and symptoms referable to pathology within or adjacent to the cavernous sinus.

Clinical presentation

Patients present with multiple unilateral cranial neuropathies involving any combination of the following:

  • ophthalmoplegia (cranial nerves III, IV, or VI), most commonly presenting as diplopia
  • facial sensory loss (cranial nerves V1 and V2)
  • Horner syndrome (oculosympathetic fibers)

Pain can occur, especially with inflammatory processes.

Additional symptoms may be vascular in origin:

  • chemosis
  • proptosis

Pathology

Causes are diverse and may be organized by surgical sieve:

See also

Siehe auch: