Occlusion would never be used in infants though both because of the risk of inducing stimulus deprivation amblyopia and because they do not experience diplopia.Other management options at this initial stage include the use of botulinum toxin, which is injected into the ipsilateral medial rectus (botulinum toxin therapy of strabismus). The use of BT serves a number of purposes. Firstly, it helps to prevent the contracture of the medial rectus which might result from its acting unopposed for a long period. Secondly, by reducing the size of the deviation temporarily it might allow prismatic correction to be used where this was not previously possible, and, thirdly, by removing the pull of the medial rectus it may serve to reveal whether the palsy is partial or complete by allowing any residual movement capability of the lateral rectus to operate. Thus, the toxin works both therapeutically, by helping to reduce symptoms and enhancing the prospects for fuller ocular movements post-operatively, and diagnostically, by helping to determine the type of operation most appropriate for each patient.A Cochrane Review on interventions for eye movement disorders due to acquired brain injury, last updated June 2017, identified one study of botulinum toxin for acute sixth nerve palsy. The Cochrane review authors judged this to be low-certainty evidence; the study was not masked and the estimate of effect was imprecise.
Subarachnoid space
As the VIth nerve passes through the subarachnoid space it lies adjacent to anterior inferior and posterior inferior cerebellar and basilar arteries and is therefore vulnerable to compression against the clivus. Typically palsies caused in this way will be associated with signs and symptoms of headache and/or a rise in ICP. Petrous apex
The nerve passes adjacent to the mastoid sinus and is vulnerable to mastoiditis, leading to inflammation of the meninges, which can give rise to Gradenigos syndrome. This condition results in a VIth nerve palsy with an associated reduction in hearing ipsilaterally, plus facial pain and paralysis, and photophobia. Similar symptoms can also occur secondary to petrous fractures or to nasopharyngeal tumours. Cavernous sinus/Superior orbital fissure
The nerve runs in the sinus body adjacent to the internal carotid artery and oculo-sympathetic fibres responsible for pupil control, thus, lesions here might be associated with pupillary dysfunctions such as Horners syndrome. In addition, III, IV, V1, and V2 involvement might also indicate a sinus lesion as all run toward the orbit in the sinus wall. Lesions in this area can arise as a result of vascular problems, inflammation, metastatic carcinomas and primary meningiomas. Orbit
The VIth nerves course is short and lesions in the orbit rarely give rise to isolated VIth nerve palsies, but more typically involve one or more of the other extraocular muscle groups. Diagnosis
Differential diagnoses
Differential diagnosis is rarely difficult in adults. Onset is typically sudden with symptoms of horizontal diplopia.