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Table 5 Summary of pathologies that may involve cranial nerves

From: Imaging of cranial nerves: a pictorial overview

Neoplasm

▪ Primary neural tumor

▪ Compressive mass (sellar, paracavernous, bone tumor)

▪ Leptomeningeal or perineural spread of tumor

Inflammation

▪ Optic neuritis

▪ Multiple sclerosis, neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders

▪ Pseudotumor (Tolosa-Hunt syndrome)

▪ Sarcoidosis

▪ Gradenigo syndrome

▪ Vestibular neuritis, labyrinthitis

Infection

▪ Abscess, encephalitis, meningitis, thrombophlebitis, viral neuritis (Ramsey-Hunt syndrome)

▪ Skull base osteomyelitis

Trauma

Vascular

▪ Neurovascular compression, aneurysm

Ischemia

Hemorrhage

▪ Superficial siderosis

Congenital

▪ Neurofibromatosis (I and II), Kallman syndrome, aplasia/hypoplasia of the optic nerve, Duane syndrome, Moebius syndrome