SPONTANEOUS-RECOVERY RATES FOR UNILATERAL 6TH NERVE PALSIES

Two hundred and thirteen patients with unilateral isolated sixth nerve palsies were assessed to determine what proportion of them underwent spontaneous recovery and over what period of time this recovery occurr ed, All were primary ophthalmic referrals from which trauma was exclud ed. In all, 78.4% of patients experienced spontaneous recovery of thei r palsy, 36.6% recovering by 8 weeks and 73.7% by 24 weeks, Only 16.4% failed to recover, Of this group, however, nearly 40% had serious und erlying pathology accounting for their palsy.