Abstract
Paralysis of the abducens nerve develops in various cancers of the otolaryngological area. A survey of malignancies encountered during the past 10 years revealed that the nerve paralysis can be caused by cancers of the nasopharynx or ethmosphenoidal sinus.
Of 38 nasopharyngeal cancers, only three cases showed paralysis of the abducens nerve (8%).
The incidence was much greater in cancers of the ethmosphenoidal area where 10 out of 17 cases (59%) developed paralysis of the abducens.
In each of the three cases of nasopharyngeal cancer with paralysis of the abducens, the sphenoidal sinus was found to have been infiltrated with tumor on radiological findings.
This study indicated that the paralysis of the abducens nerve due to otolaryngological malignancy is brought most often through the involvement of the sphenoid sinus.
