[Trigeminal neurinoma presenting abducens nerve palsy as initial symptom: a report of two cases].

Two cases of trigeminal neurinoma presenting abducens nerve palsy as initial symptom are reported. Case 1. A 33-year-old female was admitted because of double vision of two months duration. Neurological examination revealed left abducens nerve palsy. CT scan disclosed a left parasellar tumor with a homogeneous enhancement effect. The tumor was subtotally resected by left extradural subtemporal approach, and diagnosed as trigeminal neurinoma. Case 2. A 18-year-old female was admitted because of double vision of one month duration. Neurological examination revealed left mydriasis and left abducens nerve palsy. CT scan disclosed a low density mass in the left cerebellopontine angle region and enhanced parasellar mass. The cystic mass located at the posterior fossa was removed by left retromastoid suboccipital approach, and diagnosed as trigeminal neurinoma. In these two cases, the abducens nerve palsy disappeared within two months postoperatively. The trigeminal neurinoma presenting abducens nerve palsy as initial symptoms is rare. We were able to collect six similar cases from the literature. All of them, including present two cases, were classified as ganglion type. It was suspected that the abducens nerve was compressed by the trigeminal neurinoma at the cavernous sinus, the petrous apex or the posterior fossa.