SUMMARY
Purpose:
To determine the epidemiological and clinical features of the cavernous sinus syndrome as well as its most common etiologies in a series of patients in Brazil.
Methods:
The medical records of patients with cavernous sinus syndrome were analyzed. They had undergone an extensive laboratory workup including biopsy in selected cases.
Results:
70 cases were found with ages ranging from 4 to?4 years (median 41). Both sexes were equally involved. Headache occurred in 80% of the patients; the III nerve was involved in 76%, the IV in 43%, the VI in 59%. Optic neuropathy was seen in 46%) of the cases. The main etiologies were: Tolosa-Hunt syndrome in 18 patients, hypertrophic pachymeningitis in 17, tumors in 12, aneurysms in 11; tuberculoma in 1 and thrombophlebitis in 1.
Conclusions:
Our series shows that cavernous sinus syndrome occurs at any age and equally in both sexes. Optic neuropathy is common. Inflammatory diseases were found to be the most frequent cause of the syndrome in this series.
Keywords:
Cavernous sinus syndrome; Headache; Ophthalmoplegia; Optic neuropathy