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Magnetic resonance imaging in congenital Brown syndrome

  • Pediatrics
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Abstract

Aims

Our aim was to elucidate the etiology of Brown syndrome by evaluating the trochlea position, morphologic characteristics of the extraocular muscles including superior oblique muscle/tendon complex, and the presence of the cranial nerves (CN) III, IV, and VI using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in eight patients with unilateral congenital Brown syndrome and one patient with bilateral congenital Brown syndrome.

Methods

Nine consecutive patients diagnosed with congenital Brown syndrome had a comprehensive ocular examination and MRI for the CN III, CN VI, and the extraocular muscles. Five of the nine patients underwent additional high resolution MRI for CN IV. The distance from the annulus of Zinn to the trochlea was measured.

Results

Normal sized CN III, IV, and VI, as well as all extraocular muscles, could be identified bilaterally in all patients with available MRI. The distance from the annulus of Zinn to the trochlea was the same in both eyes.

Conclusions

The findings for our patients, particularly in those who underwent additional high resolution MRI, did not provide evidence of a lack of CN IV as a cause of Brown syndrome.

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Funding / support

This study was supported in part by the Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (2013R1A1A2010606) and the Interdisciplinary Research Initiatives Program by the College of Engineering and College of Medicine, Seoul National University (2012).

Financial Disclosures

None

Conflict of interest

None

Ethics approval

Seoul National University Bundang Hospital approved this study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea

    Jae Hyoung Kim

  2. Department of Ophthalmology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, 166, Gumiro, Bundang-gu, Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do, 463-707, Korea

    Jeong-Min Hwang

Authors
  1. Jae Hyoung Kim
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  2. Jeong-Min Hwang
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Correspondence to Jeong-Min Hwang.

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Kim, J.H., Hwang, JM. Magnetic resonance imaging in congenital Brown syndrome. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 253, 1385–1389 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-015-2962-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-015-2962-x

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