Bilateral vertical gaze palsy due to midbrain infarct associated with iron deficiency anemia in a young boy

Abstract

An 8-year-old boy presented with complaints of sudden-onset binocular vertical diplopia of one day duration. Ophthalmic examination showed restricted up- and downgaze movement with rotatory nystagmus. Systemic investigations revealed iron-deficiency anemia and localized acute infarct in the left paramedian rostral and dorsal part of the upper midbrain at the level of the red nucleus on magnetic resonance imaging. The patient was started on oral iron supplement, which resulted in symptomatic as well as clinical improvement after 2 weeks.

Keywords

• vertical gaze palsy
• midbrain infarction
• iron-deficiency anemia