RECURRENT OPHTHALMOPLEGIA IN CHILDHOOD - DIAGNOSTIC AND ETIOLOGIC CONSIDERATIONS

We present two patients with recurrent painful ophthalmoplegia startin g in early childhood. Clinically, both patients fulfilled the criteria for ophthalmoplegic migraine. In one case, magnetic resonance investi gations were performed following the second attack, between the third and fourth and during the fourth attack. The left third cranial nerve was significantly thickened in its course from the brainstem through t he prepontine cistern to the cavernous sinus during the attacks and mo derately thickened between the attacks. In the second case, magnetic r esonance imaging was performed during the 14th attack, when the oculom otor nerve dysfunction was almost permanent, and the imaging demonstra ted a swollen oculomotor nerve. Whether these findings are pathognomon ic of ophthalmoplegic migraine awaits further reports using magnetic r esonance imaging in infants showing recurrent painful ophthalmoplegia of early onset.