Dolichoectasia and cranial nerve palsies. A case report.

An elderly man with glaucoma and acute onset of left-sided cranial nerve III, V, and VII palsies was found to have associated marked intracranial artery dolichoectasia. Dolichoectasia (arterial elongation and distension) affects the intracranial arteries, producing various neurological and ophthalmological findings. The patients are usually men who are more than 40 years old and have a history of hypertension. Diagnosis is made by characteristic radiologic findings. In patients with neurologic symptoms and signs suggesting a space-occupying mass, intracranial dolichoectasia should be considered.