Rinsho Shinkeigaku (Clinical Neurology)

Case Report

Oculomotor nerve palsy with preserved pupillary reaction in two cases of neurolymphomatosis

Kasumi Hattori, M.D.1), Nozomu Matsuda, M.D., Ph.D.1), Mari Yoshizawa, M.D.1), Yoshikazu Ugawa, M.D., Ph.D.2) and Kazuaki Kanai, M.D., Ph.D.1)

1) Department of Neurology, Fukushima Medical University
2) Department of Human Neurophysiology, Fukushima Medical University

Case 1: A 64-year-old woman with acute ptosis and diplopia was admitted to our hospital. She had right oculomotor nerve palsy with preserved pupillary reaction without any other neurological deficits. MRI showed abnormal enhancement in the right oculomotor nerve. An ovarian tumor was detected on CT examination, and was pathologically diagnosed as diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Cerebrospinal fluid cytology disclosed malignant lymphoma cells. Based on the above findings, we concluded that she had neurolymphomatosis (NL) of the right oculomotor nerve. Case 2: A 63-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital due to weakness of the bilateral lower extremities and gait disturbance. Lumbar MRI showed enhanced lesions in the cauda equina, and we diagnosed her as having DLBCL based on bone marrow aspiration study. She later developed right oculomotor nerve palsy with preserved pupillary reaction together with the right abducens and hypoglossal nerve palsies, which were caused by NL. Our cases suggest that oculomotor nerve palsy with preserved pupillary reaction can be a clinical feature of NL. Although NL mainly affects the subperinerium, as parasympathetic fibers are located in the periphery of the oculomotor nerve and supplied by pia matar blood vessels, patients with NL may shows this clinical feature.
Full Text of this Article in Japanese PDF (2923K)

(CLINICA NEUROL, 62: 552|557, 2022)
key words: oculomotor nerve palsy, malignant lymphoma, neurolymphomatosis

(Received: 24-Nov-21)