[Visual cortex in the Tolosa-Hunt syndrome. Functional imaging for the detection of a psychogenic disorder--a case report].

Abstract

Besides painful ophthalmoplegia, patients suffering from Tolosa-Hunt syndrome often present increasing loss of visual perception. The impairment of the optic nerve leads to a delay of the VEP (visual evoked potentials) responses. Using the method of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), some patients present unspecific alterations in the vicinity of the optic nerve. However, both methods (VEP and MRI) are unsuitable to assess the effect of an impaired optic nerve function on neuronal processing in the visual cortex. We report one patient suffering from Tolosa-Hunt syndrome affecting the optic nerve. We used fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) to show how this impairment of the optic nerve alters cortical processing of visual information. The activity of the unaffected visual cortex was bilaterally reduced when compared to healthy volunteers but greater that obtained from patients suffering from bilateral occipital infarction. Our results offer new opportunities to assess the efficiency of therapy in patients with increasing loss of visual perception due to the Tolosa-Hunt syndrome. Further studies are necessary to investigate, whether fMRI also provides the possibility to assess the efficiency of drug therapy on optic nerve function.

• Authors: B Pleger, A-F Förster, P Schwenkreis, V Nicolas, J-P Malin, J Frettlöh, C Maier, M Tegenthoff
• Journal: Schmerz (Berlin, Germany) (Schmerz) Vol. 18 Issue 3 Pg. 211-7 (Jun 2004) ISSN: 0932-433X [Print] Germany
• Vernacular Title: Visusstörungen beim Tolosa-Hunt-Syndrom. Untersuchung mit der funktionellen Magnetresonanztomographie zur Abgrenzung psychogener Störungen--Ein Fallbericht.
• PMID: 15206018 (Publication Type: Case Reports, English Abstract, Journal Article)

Topics

• Humans
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Optic Nerve (pathology, physiopathology)
• Tolosa-Hunt Syndrome (diagnosis, physiopathology, psychology)
• Visual Cortex (pathology, physiopathology)