Isolated partial third nerve palsy following Le Fort I maxillary osteotomy in a patient with cleft lip and palate.

A rare case is reported of right sided isolated partial IIIrd (oculomotor) nerve palsy complicating a Le Fort I Wake osteotomy in a cleft patient. This lesion recovered spontaneously and completely by 8 weeks. Computed tomography failed to reveal a focal lesion to account for this complication, which was thought to be a neuropraxia caused either by transmitted force or accumulation of haematoma and/or oedema, perhaps related to abnormal anatomy inherent in cleft cases.