What causes cranial nerve VI palsy?
The most common causes of 6th cranial nerve palsy are stroke, trauma, viral illness, brain tumor, inflammation, infection, migraine headache and elevated pressure inside the head. The condition can be present at birth; however the most common cause in children is trauma. In older persons, a small stroke is the most common cause. Sometimes the cause of the palsy is not determined despite extensive investigation. The sixth cranial nerve has a long course from the brainstem to the lateral rectus muscle and depending on the location of the abnormality, other neurologic structures may be involved. Hearing loss, facial weakness, decreased facial sensation, droopy eyelid and/or abnormal eye movement can be associated, depending on the location of the lesion.
