Abstract

EL Ouazzani Taybi Habiba*, Filali Sadouk Mohamed, Moutei Hassan, Bennis Ahmed, Chraibi Fouad, Abdellaoui Meriem and Benatiya Andaloussi Idriss

ABSTRACT

Purpose: To report a case of unilateral corneal ulceration secondary to congenital agenesis of the trigeminal nerve associated with an arachnoid cyst of the left cerebellopontine angle. Methods: Case report. Results: We report the case of a 7-month-old girl referred to our department for a red eye with photophobia, without pain. Examination of the left eye revealed visual acuity limited to counting fingers at less than one meter, an abolished corneal reflex, absent corneal sensitivity, with infectious keratitis with hypopyon, and the fundus was unseen, leading to a normal ocular ultrasound. Ophthalmological examination of the Adelphe eye was normal. A notion of repetitive microtrauma of the left eye and self-mutilation of the left nose were detected during these follow-up visits. These symptoms were secondary to self-mutilation and associated with anesthesia of the left nose. Examination revealed the presence of homolateral left ear agenesis. Congenital agenesis of the trigeminal nerve associated with an arachnoid cyst of the left cerebellopontine angle pushes forward the homolateral acousticofacial nerve, which was confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging sections. The originality of our case lies in this particular association. To our knowledge, no case has been reported in the literature associating at the same time an arachnoid cyst of the cerebellopontine angle with an agenesis of the homolateral trigeminal nerve and of the homolateral ear with a corneal anesthesia, hence the particularity of our clinical case. Conclusions: Magnetic resonance imaging confirms congenital agenesis of the trigeminal nerve associated with an arachnoid cyst of the left cerebellopontine angle, a cause of infantile neurotrophic syndrome.