Abducens palsy

What it means

Malfunction of the abducens nerve as manifested by impairment of the ability of the affected eye to be moved outward. Patients who develop abducens nerve palsy often present with binocular horizontal diplopia, which is a double vision when looking at objects side by side. There will be a notable weakness of the ipsilateral lateral rectus muscle leading to a deficit in of eye abduction on the affected side. Some patients may present with a constant head turning movement to maintain binocular fusion and to lessen the degree of diplopia.

Affected individuals may experience diplopia as well as esotropia or convergent strabismus.

Rare diseases that can present with this9

The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.

Part of the broader category

Also called: Abducens nerve palsy · Abducens nerve paralysis · Abducens nerve paresis · Cranial nerve VI palsy · Lateral rectus muscle denervation paresis · Sixth nerve palsy