clinical examination of cranial nerves
Last reviewed 01/2018
If possible, position the patient so that he is sitting over the edge of the bed. Look at the patient's head, face and neck.
General inspection:
- look for evidence of hydrocephalus (head and face resemble an inverted triangle), Paget's disease, acromegaly
- look for ptosis, proptosis, pupillary inequality, skew deviation of the eyes, facial asymmetry - these features should be seen when examining individual cranial nerves
- look at skin for neurofibromas and scalp for craniotomy scars
- look for cutaneous angiomas on the face (seen in Sturge-Weber syndrome)
After the a general examination, examine the individual cranial nerves (done in order of their number).