Ophthalmoplegia with bilateral ptosis secondary to midbrain hemorrhage. A case with clinical and radiologic correlation.

A 65-year-old white female presented with the sudden onset of headaches, bilateral ptosis, and complete ophthalmoplegia. Other than a mild decrease in mental status, she was neurologically intact. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) examinations showed a midline hemorrhage extending from the caudal diencephalon to the pontomesencephalic junction affecting the oculomotor complex, the medial longitudinal fasciculus (MLF), and the rostral parapontine reticular formation (PPRF). Ischemic changes were also noted in the midline pontine tegmentum possibly affecting root fibers from the abducens nuclei. Angiography was negative for a vascular anomaly. The radiologic findings are correlated with current models of oculomotor organization to provide an explanation for this patient's unique clinical presentation.