Iatrogenic Horner ’s syndrome with abducent nerve paralysis after cervical schwannoma excision.

Horner & rsquo;s syndrome usually occurs after surgical intervention around carotid artery. A complete intracranial course of abducent nerve prevents its injury during neck surgery. We encountered an unusual complication in a 31-year-old female who underwent schwannoma excision under general anaesthesia. Patient developed Horner & rsquo;s syndrome and lateral rectus palsy in immediate post-operative period. Post-operative investigations did not reveal any abnormality in abducent nerve. Patient was managed conservatively and improved. We believe that either both neural injuries occurred independently or cautery may have caused Horner & rsquo;s syndrome and abducent palsy simultaneously.
Source: Head and Neck Oncology - Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: research