A 29-year-old woman is referred to a neurologist because of deviation of her left eye, which cannot be abducted on attempted gaze to the left. A magnetic resonance image reveals a tumor filling a cistern and compressing one of the cranial nerves. Which of the following is the most likely location of this tumor?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The inability to abduct the left eye suggests a lesion affecting the sixth cranial nerve (abducens nerve), which controls the lateral rectus muscle responsible for eye abduction. The prepontine cistern is the location through which the abducens nerve travels, and a tumor in this area could compress the nerve, leading to the observed symptoms.

A 29-Year-Old Woman Is Referred to a Neurologist Because of Deviation