The 4th Nerve Palsy is an eye disorder in which the usual symptom is that of double vision.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Fourth cranial nerve palsy is a condition that causes weakness or paralysis to the superior oblique muscle. This condition often causes vertical or near vertical double vision as the weakened muscle prevents the eyes from moving in the same direction together. Because the fourth cranial nerve is the thinnest and has the longest intracranial course of the cranial nerves, it is particularly vulnerable to traumatic injury. A Few Facts About 4th Nerve Palsy. A little known or understood disorder, 4th Nerve Palsy is an eye disorder in which the usual symptom is that of double vision. In this particular case, double vision means the image seen through one eye appears to be slightly above the image seen by the other eye. The exact cause of this disorder is not always known. When this nerve suffers from a disorder, such as palsy, the movement of the eye is affected. The eye's gaze will tend to drift upward and perhaps slightly inward. The upward drift of the eye's gaze is called hypertropia. Fourth cranial nerve palsy is a condition that causes weakness or paralysis to the superior oblique muscle. This condition often causes vertical or near vertical double vision as the weakened muscle prevents the eyes from moving in the same direction together. Because the fourth cranial nerve is the thinnest and has the longest intracranial course of the cranial nerves, it is particularly vulnerable to traumatic injury. For acquired fourth nerve palsy, see fourth nerve palsy. Congenital fourth nerve palsy is a condition present at birth characterized by a vertical misalignment of the eyes due to a weakness or paralysis of the superior oblique muscle. Cases of congenital fourth nerve palsy vary in magnitude and way they affect the motion of the superior oblique muscle. Therefore different surgeries are available dependent upon the type of misalignment. Sometimes surgery on more than one eye muscle is required. However, since 4th nerve palsy is often congenital, fourth nerve palsy treatment options are usually limited to surgery to correct the alignment of the eyes by attaching muscles to the eye to hold it in place. Afterwards, patients also usually require some form of vision correction. A palsy of the third cranial nerve generally affects a patient’s ability to move the eyes, constrict the pupils and focus or move the upper eyelids. People who suffer from nerve palsy may experience abnormal, involuntary eye movements. Fourth Nerve Palsy. Go to Academy Store Learn more and Purchase. A fourth nerve palsy typically causes diplopia that is worse in downgaze; hence, patients almost always report diplopia (or the tendency to close 1 eye) while reading.  Bell's Palsy is a form of nerve palsy that causes paralysis or weakness on one side of the face. Treatment for various forms of nerve palsy may include massage therapy. Untreated nerve palsy may leave the feet completely incompacitated. A palsy of the third cranial nerve generally affects a patient’s ability to move the eyes, constrict the pupils and focus or move the upper eyelids. People who suffer from nerve palsy may experience abnormal, involuntary eye movements. Fourth cranial (trochlear) nerve palsy is often idiopathic. Few causes have been identified. Causes include closed head injury (common), which may cause unilateral or bilateral palsies, and infarction due to small-vessel disease (eg, in diabetes).  To compensate for the double-vision resulting from the weakness of the superior oblique, patients characteristically tilt their head down and to the side opposite the affected muscle. When present at birth, it is known as congenital fourth nerve palsy. This condition often causes vertical or near vertical double vision as the weakened muscle prevents the eyes from moving in the same direction together. Because the fourth cranial nerve is the thinnest and has the longest intracranial course of the cranial nerves, it is particularly vulnerable to traumatic injury. Treatment For 4th Nerve Palsy-When 4th Nerve Palsy does require treatment, such treatment may vary from prescribing special eyeglass prisms to surgery. Surgery usually involves repair of the eye muscles or adjusting the muscle attach points to put the eyes back in alignment. When this nerve suffers from a disorder, such as palsy, the movement of the eye is affected. The eye's gaze will tend to drift upward and perhaps slightly inward. The upward drift of the eye's gaze is called hypertropia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_nerve_palsy http://nervedamagesymptoms.net/4th_nerve_palsy/4th_nerve_palsy.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_nerve_palsy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congenital_fourth_nerve_palsy http://www.wisegeekhealth.com/what-is-nerve-palsy.htm http://www.aao.org/bcscsnippetdetail.aspx?id=64558c0a-0659-4165-ac1a-4a2f7d4be069 http://www.wisegeekhealth.com/what-is-nerve-palsy.htm http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/neurologic-disorders/neuro-ophthalmologic-and-cranial-nerve-disorders/fourth-cranial-nerve-palsy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_nerve_palsy http://nervedamagesymptoms.net/4th_nerve_palsy/4th_nerve_palsy.html
what is 4th nerve palsy