ABSENCE OF THE ABDUCENS NERVE IN DUANE-SYNDROME VERIFIED BY MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING

PURPOSE: To demonstrate that currently available magnetic resonance im aging techniques may verify the absence of the abducens nerve in Duane syndrome. METHODS: We performed magnetic resonance imaging in a 36 ye ar-old woman with left Duane syndrome, type 1, using spoiled gradient recalled acquisition in the steady state to obtain high resolution T-1 -weighted images through the abducens nerve in its subarachnoid segmen t, Scans were obtained in the axial plane from the medulla to the midb rain and then reformatted along the plane of the abducens nerve. RESUL T: Unilateral absence of the left abducens nerve was verified using ma gnetic resonance imaging. CONCLUSION: The absence of the abducens nerv e in Duane syndrome can be verified by modern magnetic resonance imagi ng techniques. (C) 1998 by Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.