Acute onset isolated abducens paralysis after exposure to arc welding

Abstract

Exposure to welding is associated with many diseases, especially some of the eye injuries. We present a 49-year-old male patient applied to us with the complaints of double vision and blurred vision for a week. The symptoms started after looking welding machine light for a few minutes without protective glasses. After excluding another cause, the diagnosis of idiopathic abducens paralysis was made. As a result of exposure to metals and ultraviolet radiation, conjunctival disorders, presbyopia, refractive errors, corneal damage, and retinal pathologies can be seen in patients. It is also known that UV is a stress factor that will initiate reactions that lead to apoptosis of neurons. We think that exposure to UV rays may have played a role in the possible etiological process in our case. The patient was followed up with conservative treatment and all symptoms resolve within a month.