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← Back to Search Results Cranial Nerve VI: Abducens Nerve LAST UPDATED: 11TH APRIL 2019

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The abducens nerve (CN VI) is a motor nerve supplying the lateral rectus muscle which acts to abduct the eye.

Table: Overview of the Abducens Nerve

Cranial Nerve VI: Abducens
Nerve Cranial Nerve Abducens nerve (CN VI)
Anatomy
Key anatomy Arises from pons, travels through cavernous sinus, exits skull through superior orbital ssure
FRCEM Success

Function Motor: lateral rectus muscle of eye (abducts eye)

Assessment Eye movements

Clinical e ects of Convergent squint with inability to abduct eye, horizontal diplopia
injury

Causes of injury Idiopathic, brain tumours, extradural haematoma, cavernous sinus disease, diabetes mellitus, Wernicke-
Korsako syndrome

KEYWORDS
Anatomical Course
Abducens Nerve Cranial Nerves

The nerve originates in the pons and exits the brainstem from the inferior pontine sulcus to travel in the subarachnoid space. It traverses the

RELATED TOPICS cavernous sinus where it runs alongside the internal carotid artery, and enters the orbit through the superior orbital ssure.

Anatomy Head and Neck

Cranial Nerve Lesions Orbit and Eye

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ORIGIN S OF RIGHT OCULAR MUSCLES AND NERVES E NTE RING BY THE SUP E RIO R O RBITAL F ISSURE . (IMAGE BY HEN RY VAN DYKE CARTER [PUBLIC DOMA IN] , V IA

WIKIMEDIA COMMON S)

Assessment

The abducens nerve should be assessed together with the oculomotor nerve (CN III) and the trochlear nerve (CN IV) by testing ocular
movements.

Likely Causes of Disease or Injury

Causes of CN VI palsy include:

Idiopathic
Diabetes, hypertension
Pontine stroke
Extradural haematoma
Demyelination
Wernicke's encephalopathy
Giant cell arteritis
Tumours (e.g. cerebellopontine angle tumours)
Basilar artery aneurysm
Cavernous sinus disease
Infections e.g. subacute meningitis, tuberculosis
Trauma (up to one-third of cases)

Common Clinical E ects

CN VI palsies result in a convergent squint at rest (eye turned inwards) with inability to abduct the eye because of unopposed action of the
rectus medialis. The patient complains of horizontal diplopia when looking towards the a ected side. With complete paralysis, the eye cannot
abduct past the midline.