Differential Diagnosis for Unable to Perform Extraocular Movements (EOM) and Facial Movement
Single Most Likely Diagnosis
- Stroke: This is the most likely diagnosis due to the sudden onset of symptoms affecting both extraocular movements and facial movements, suggesting a lesion in the brainstem or a large cerebral hemisphere infarct affecting cranial nerve nuclei or their pathways.
Other Likely Diagnoses
- Multiple Cranial Neuropathies: Conditions such as Guillain-Barré syndrome can lead to weakness or paralysis of extraocular and facial muscles due to inflammation of the nerves.
- Myasthenia Gravis: An autoimmune disease that can cause fluctuating weakness of muscles, including those controlling eye and facial movements, due to antibodies blocking acetylcholine receptors.
- Thyroid Ophthalmopathy: Although primarily associated with exophthalmos and eyelid retraction, in severe cases, it can cause restrictive strabismus affecting EOM.
Do Not Miss Diagnoses
- Brainstem Tumor or Cyst: Lesions in the brainstem can compress cranial nerve nuclei or their pathways, leading to deficits in EOM and facial movements. Missing this diagnosis could lead to significant morbidity or mortality.
- Cavernous Sinus Thrombosis: A rare but potentially life-threatening condition that can cause multiple cranial neuropathies, including those affecting EOM and facial movements, due to thrombosis in the cavernous sinus.
- Wernicke's Encephalopathy: A condition caused by thiamine deficiency, often seen in alcoholics, which can present with ophthalmoplegia, among other symptoms, and requires urgent treatment to prevent permanent damage.
Rare Diagnoses
- Mitochondrial Myopathies: A group of disorders that can affect the muscles, including those involved in eye movements, due to mitochondrial dysfunction.
- Chronic Progressive External Ophthalmoplegia (CPEO): A rare mitochondrial disorder characterized by a gradual decline in eye movements.
- Moebius Syndrome: A rare congenital disorder characterized by facial paralysis and impaired eye movements due to abnormal development of the cranial nerves.