Although ophthalmoplegia following snake bites is not indicative of a serious neurotoxic complication, symptoms of diplopia, dizziness and ocular discomfort can be emotionally devastating for patients. The authors experienced two cases of ophthalmoplegia following snake bites in Korea. The patients complained of diplopia that had developed several hours after the snake bites. The diplopia did not improve with antivenom treatment, but resolved completely after several injections of neostigmine.
Adolescent ; Animals ; Child ; Cholinesterase Inhibitors/*therapeutic use ; Diplopia/drug therapy/etiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Neostigmine/therapeutic use ; Ophthalmoplegia/*drug therapy/*etiology ; Snake Bites/*complications

PURPOSE: To report a case with complete ophthalmoplegia after herpes zoster ophthalmicus. METHODS: A 70-year-old male patient visited a clinic because of vesicular eruptions over the left side of his face with severe pain. Drooping and severe swelling of the left eyelid were present, along with keratitis and uveitis. While the lid swelling and uveitis were improving, external ophthalmoplegia and exophthalmos were discovered. Intramuscular injections of dexamethasone 5 mg were given for 10 days, followed by oral administration of prednisolone at a dosage of 15 mg for two weeks and 10 mg for two weeks. RESULTS: The patient was fully recovered from the complete ophthalmoplegia and exophthalmos six months after the onset of the cutaneous lesion. CONCLUSIONS: Complete ophthalmoplegia is a rare ophthalmic complication of herpes zoster infection. Therefore, an evaluation of extraocular muscle and lid function should be performed during the examination of herpes zoster patients in order to screen for ophthalmoplegia.
Severity of Illness Index ; Prednisolone/therapeutic use ; Ophthalmoplegia/drug therapy/*etiology ; Male ; Humans ; Herpes Zoster Ophthalmicus/*complications/drug therapy ; Glucocorticoids/therapeutic use ; Follow-Up Studies ; Exophthalmos/drug therapy/etiology ; Aged