Acute esotropia after epidural anesthesia

BACKGROUND: Cranial nerve palsy after dural puncture is an uncommon complication. The sixth cranial nerve is the most commonly affected because of its long intracranial course. We report a case of acute comitant esotropia that occurred after unintentional dural puncture. CASE: A young woman presented with acute onset comitant esotropia 1 week after epidural anesthesia for a normal vaginal delivery during which the dura was unintentionally punctured. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed diffuse pachymeningeal enhancement, typically seen after dural puncture. Resolution was spontaneous. CONCLUSION: Puncture of the dura should be considered when acute strabismus is diagnosed shortly after epidural anesthesia.