Clinicopathological correlation in a case of painful ophthalmoplegia: Tolosa-Hunt syndrome.

A case of painful ophthalmoplegia due to idiopathic granulomatous involvement of the superior orbital fissure (Tolosa-Hunt syndrome) is described. The clinical features of recurrent pain, ocular motor nerve palsies and proptosis correlated well with the eventual demonstration of an enhancing mass in the region of the cavernous sinus. Removal of the lesion led to a resolution of the clinical picture and demonstration of a non-caseating granuloma with no other detectable cause. The original observation of Tolosa was thus re-affirmed.