EXTERNAL OCULAR MUSCLE PALSIES OCCURRING IN DIABETES MELLITUS

Abstract

THE NEUROLOGIC complications of diabetes mellitus have been the subject of a number of reports in recent years. These have emphasized peripheral neuropathy and have related the pathogenesis mainly to metabolic disorder or to nutritional or vitamin deficiency. There is, however, growing evidence that vascular damage is an important factor. One of us (H. D.¹) noted retinal hemorrhages in 200 patients with diabetes of up to twenty-five years' duration, while other forms of vascular disease, such as hypertension and/or albuminuria, were present in half of the group. The central nervous system does not escape in this generalized process. The classic syndrome of occlusion of the posterior inferior cerebellar artery occurs characteristically in diabetes, and pupillary abnormalities are common manifestations. This report describes the ocular palsies seen in 14 diabetic patients, all of whom showed evidence of vascular damage. REPORT OF CASES Case 1. —Homolateral oculomotor nerve palsy with reverse