Learning objectives
The main objective of this poster is todescribe the clinical presentations and imaging findings of cranial nerves pathology.
Furhtermore,
it will be briefly reviewed its anatomy.
Background
There are twelve cranial nerves numbered in order as they emerge from cranial to caudal in the brain.
These are: olfactory (I),
optic (II),
oculomotor (III),
trochlear (IV),
trigeminal (V),
abducens (VI),
facial (VII),
vestibulocochlear(VIII),
glosopharyngeal (IX),
vagus (X),
accesory (XI) and hypoglossal(XII) nerves.
The I and II cranial nerves are not true nerves but extensions of the brain.
Therefore they are myelinated by oligodendrocytes and not by Schwann cellslikethe rest of thecranial nerves,
and are covered by meninges.
The neurosensory cells (neurons) of the...
Findings and procedure details
The pathology involving cranial nerves comprises trauma,
inflammation (infection,
autoinmune,
autoimmune-related diseases),
primary or secondary tumors,
vascular and idiopathic causes.
Also,
it can be divided according to the segment of the nerve affected from the central nuclei in the brainstem to the peripheral branches.It is worth mentioning that apart from the intrinsic injuries,
all cranial nerves are exposed to extrinsic lesions such as compression by intracranial neoplasms or aneurysms.
1.
TRAUMA
Cranial nerve injury in head trauma is in the region of 5-23%.
Injury to...
Conclusion
It is of paramount importance to know the cranial nerves anatomy and its pathology to be able to rule out cranial nerve pathology so often requested in many radiological tests.
References
Harjinder S Bhatoe Trauma to the cranial nervesIndian Journal of Neurotrauma (IJNT) 2007,
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http://medind.nic.in/icf/t07/i2/icft07i2p89.pdf
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