A Case of Recurrent Painful Ophthalmoplegic Neuropathy Successfully Treated with Beta-blocker Eye Drop Instillation

ABSTRACT

Recurrent painful ophthalmoplegic neuropathy (RPON) is a rare disorder, which typically occurs in children, and causes headaches and unilateral oculomotor palsy. Early high-dose corticosteroid therapy is recommended to rapidly resolve acute episodes. However, the pathophysiology and therapeutic options for this disorder remain to be fully elucidated. We report a case with typical clinical features of RPON successfully treated with beta-blocker eye drop instillation after the effects of high-dose corticosteroid and other therapies were not sufficient. We propose that beta-blocker eye drop instillation should be considered for patients with corticosteroid-resistant RPON.

KEYWORDS:

• Recurrent painful ophthalmoplegic neuropathy
• ophthalmoplegic migraine
• oculomotor nerve palsy
• beta-blocker

Declaration of interest statement

The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.