Open AccessTransient diplopia in dental outpatient clinic: An uncommon iatrogenic event
Author(s) -
SM Balaji
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
indian journal of dental research/indian journal of dental research
Language(s) - Uncategorized
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.277
H-Index - 43
eISSN - 1998-3603
pISSN - 0970-9290
DOI - 10.4103/0970-9290.62798
Subject(s) - medicine , diplopia , lidocaine , anesthesia , molar , inferior alveolar nerve , surgery , paralysis , dentistry
A healthy 32-year-old female patient required an extraction of the right maxillary third molar. Lidocaine containing 1:80,000 epinephrine for right posterior superior alveolar nerve block was administered in the mucobuccal fold above the third molar to be extracted at our hospital. After few minutes of posterior superior alveolar block anesthesia, patient felt double vision. The condition was subsequently diagnosed as transient diplopia due to temporary paralysis of lateral rectus muscle due to involvement of the VI cranial nerve. The patient recovered in 30 minutes and the treatment was performed successfully. This article discusses the possible scientific explanation for this phenomenon.