Third nerve palsy is bilateral in only about 10% of cases, of which one in five cases is due to brainstem stroke. Bilateral oculomotor nerve palsy as an isolated clinical finding after brainstem stroke is extremely rare. We present a case of severe bilateral fascicular oculomotor nerve palsy due to distal basilar occlusion and subsequent midbrain infarction of cardioembolic origin. The patient required mechanical aids and subsequent ptosis surgery to relieve complete ptosis at least unilaterally.
Keywords: Oculomotor; brainstem; ptosis; stroke; bilateral.