Korean J Otorhinolaryngol-Head Neck Surg.  2010 Oct;53(10):644-647. 10.3342/kjorl-hns.2010.53.10.644.

A Case of Orbital Apex Syndrome Related to Sphenoid Fungal Sinusitis

• Lee HR
• Kim HJ
• Seong SY
• Chang JH

• KMID: 1490038
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3342/kjorl-hns.2010.53.10.644

Abstract

Orbital apex syndrome (OAS) has been described previously as a syndrome involving damage to the oculomotor nerve, trochlear nerve, abducens nerve, and ophthalmic branch of the trigeminal nerve in association with optic nerve dysfunction. The conditions and symptoms of OAS are characterized by blindness, fixed dilated pupils, proptosis, ptosis of the eye and ophthalmoplegia. Infectious diseases involving the central nervous system, paranasal sinuses, and periorbital structures may lead to an OAS. We recently experienced a rare case of sphenoidal aspergillosis, which damaged the adjacent cavernous sinus structures and led to the definite symptom of OAS in a 75 year-old female. We present this rare case with a brief review of these disease's entities.

Keyword

Sphenoidal sinusitis; Orbital apex syndrome (OAS); Cavernous sinus; Aspergillosis

MeSH Terms

Abducens Nerve
Aspergillosis
Blindness
Cavernous Sinus
Central Nervous System
Communicable Diseases
Exophthalmos
Eye
Female
Humans
Oculomotor Nerve
Ophthalmoplegia
Optic Nerve
Orbit
Paranasal Sinuses
Pupil
Sinusitis
Sphenoid Sinusitis
Trigeminal Nerve
Trochlear Nerve