[Principles and results of treatment in acquired paralysis of III, IV and VI nerves].

Between 1979-1994 120 patients with acquired paralysis of cranial nerves of ocular muscles were treated: 33 cases with paralysis of oculomotor nerve, 43 cases with paralysis of trochlear nerve, 44 cases with paralysis of abducens nerve. The majority of our patients were males (84-70.0%) aged 21-40 years (65-54.2%). The paralysis was most frequently caused by traffic accidents (45 cases--37.5%) and assaults (26 cases--21.7%). The most common symptom of paralysis was diplopia (109 patients--90.8%). Only 12 persons (10.0%) were admitted during the first month of paralysis and visual disorders caused by it. In our group 18 patients (15.0%) were treated conservatively. Sixteen patients (13.3%) were given injections of botulin toxin A into the eye muscles. Surgical treatment, usually of several ocular muscles, was performed in 83 cases (67.5%) when diplopia was not reduced after 6-12 months. The method of surgery and results are presented.