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Where's the lesion? Falling to the L + R ptosis & eye deviated to the right and down.

User DexBG
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Final answer:

The symptoms of falling to the left, right ptosis, and eye deviation to the right and down suggest a lesion involving the oculomotor nerve. The lesion location is likely where the nerve is vulnerable, and further testing is needed to determine the specific cause.

Step-by-step explanation:

The patient presents with falling to the left, right ptosis (drooping of the eyelid), and an eye deviated to the right and down. These symptoms suggest a lesion affecting the nervous system, particularly involving nerves or structures that control eye movements. Ptosis and eye deviation indicate potential damage to the oculomotor nerve (cranial nerve III), which innervates the majority of the extraocular muscles, including the muscle responsible for lifting the eyelid (levator palpebrae superioris) and the medial rectus, which controls eye movement towards the nose. The downward and outward deviation of the eye, known as 'down and out', typically occurs when the oculomotor nerve is compromised, as the unopposed action of the lateral rectus (innervated by the abducens nerve, CN VI) and superior oblique (innervated by the trochlear nerve, CN IV) muscles pull the eye in that direction.

Given the combination of symptoms, the lesion is likely located in the region where the oculomotor nerve is vulnerable to damage, which can be in the midbrain, within the cavernous sinus, or as it exits the brainstem and travels between the skull and the eye. Additional testing and imaging would be needed to precisely locate the lesion and determine its cause, which could include an aneurysm, tumor, or other intracranial process.

User Tim Lloyd
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