PAINFUL OPHTHALMOPLEGIA ASSOCIATED WITH LYMPHOID HYPERPLASIA OF THE NASOPHARYNX

In the last ten years three patients presented with a subacute syndrom e characterized by unilateral frontal headache, ipsilateral external o phthalmoplegia, Va or Vb hypoesthesia and peripheral facial palsy. In all of them, plain X-ray and/or CT revealed a nasopharyngeal mass. Orb ital venography failed to fill the superior orbital vein ipsilateral t o the ophthalmoplegia, suggesting a unilateral cavernous sinus patholo gy. Biopsy demonstrated lymphoid hyperplasia. Two patients recovered s pontaneously, and in one, steroid treatment resulted in fast pain reli ef and progressing complete disappearance of the mass. In one patient a high titer of Epstein-Barr viral antibodies was detected.