Tolosa-Hunt syndrome

Tolosa-Hunt syndrome is a rare disorder characterized by severe headaches and pain around the sides and back of the eye, along with weakness and paralysis (ophthalmoplegia) of certain eye muscles.

Additional recommended knowledge

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Presentation

Symptoms usually affect only one side of the head (unilateral).

In most cases, affected individuals experience intense sharp pain and paralysis of muscles around the eye.

Symptoms subside without intervention (spontaneous remission) and recur without a distinct pattern (randomly).

In addition, affected individuals may exhibit paralysis (palsy) of certain facial nerves and drooping of the upper eyelid (ptosis).

Other symptoms may include double vision, fever, chronic fatigue, headaches, a feeling that one's surroundings are spinning (vertigo), pain in the joints (arthralgia), and/or abnormal protrusion of one or both eyeballs (exophthalmos).

Causes

The exact cause of Tolosa-Hunt syndrome is not known, but the disorder is thought to be associated with inflammation of the areas behind the eyes (cavernous sinus and superior orbital fissure).

References

• National Organization for Rare Disorders' brief description of the Tolosa-Hunt Syndrome
• A more detailed analysis of the Tolosa-Hunt Syndrome by Baylor Neurology
• synd/3307 at Who Named It