Question:medium
Ophthalmoplegic migraine is defined by which one of the following?
Ophthalmoplegic migraine is defined by which one of the following?
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Think of every nerve that moves the eye: III, IV and VI, transiently and recurrently.
Updated On: Jun 24, 2026
- Headache with irreversible loss of ophthalmic nerve function
- Recurrent transient 3rd nerve palsy associated with headache
- Recurrent transient 3rd, 4th and 6th nerve palsy associated with headache
- Headache with optic neuritis
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The Correct Option is C
Solution and Explanation
Approach this by parsing the two halves of the name. Ophthalmoplegic tells us the eye muscles are paralysed, which can only happen through the nerves that move the eye, namely cranial nerves III, IV and VI. Migraine tells us the disorder is episodic and headache-related, so the deficit must come and go rather than persist.
Put together, the entity is repeated attacks in which a headache is paired with a temporary palsy of any of the three ocular motor nerves, leaving the patient with squint and double vision that resolves between episodes.
Now eliminate the wrong choices. A definition built on irreversible damage contradicts the recurrent, self-limiting course. Limiting the palsy to the third nerve only is too narrow, since the fourth and sixth are also legitimate targets. Bringing in optic neuritis is off the mark because that involves the second cranial nerve and threatens vision, whereas this disorder spares vision and attacks eye movement.
Therefore the inclusive and correct statement covers all three ocular motor nerves.
\[\boxed{\text{Recurrent transient 3rd, 4th and 6th nerve palsy with headache}}\]
Put together, the entity is repeated attacks in which a headache is paired with a temporary palsy of any of the three ocular motor nerves, leaving the patient with squint and double vision that resolves between episodes.
Now eliminate the wrong choices. A definition built on irreversible damage contradicts the recurrent, self-limiting course. Limiting the palsy to the third nerve only is too narrow, since the fourth and sixth are also legitimate targets. Bringing in optic neuritis is off the mark because that involves the second cranial nerve and threatens vision, whereas this disorder spares vision and attacks eye movement.
Therefore the inclusive and correct statement covers all three ocular motor nerves.
\[\boxed{\text{Recurrent transient 3rd, 4th and 6th nerve palsy with headache}}\]
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