Cranial neuropathies in El-shaab teaching hospital (Sudan)

Abstract

Cranial nerves palsies are one of the most important manifestations of neurological diseases. The aim of the work was 
to study the etiologies and pattern of presentations of cranial nerves palsies among adult Sudanese patients seen at 
El-shaab Teaching Hospital in the period from July 200-February 2009. 667 adult Sudanese patients with neurological 
diseases were included in the study. A full detailed history, proper clinical examination and required investigations 
including CT scan and MRI of the brain were carried out. The results showed that cranial nerves VII (197 cases), II (121 
cases), IX (65 cases), X (65 cases), VI (39) were the most commonly affected, while III (13cases), XI (8 cases) and IV 
(2cases) were the least affected. Chief causes were stroke (144 cases), space occupying lesions (57 cases), idiopathic 
intracranial hypertension (25 cases), Guillain Barre syndrome (22 cases), diabetes mellitus (20 cases), hypertension 
(19 cases), motor neuron disease (19 cases), Bell's palsy (13 cases), multiple sclerosis (12 cases), vasculitis (10 
cases), meningitis (7 cases), acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (6 cases), anti phospholipids antibody syndrome 
in four patients, sensory neural deafness in four cases and trigeminal neuralgia in 4 cases. In addition, other rare 
causes were observed, such as hydrocephalus in 3 patients, road traffic accident in 2 patients, one patient had 
retinitis-pigmentosa, one patient had Dandy Walker syndrome and one patient had Vogt Koyangi Harada syndrome. 
The study showed that there was a wide variety of diseases and locations of cranial nerves involvement. The seventh 
and the second were the most common cranial nerves involved. Stroke and space occupying lesion were the most 
common causes of cranial neuropathies.