Isolated abducens nerve palsy following neonatal hepatitis B vaccination.

We report a case of sudden-onset abducens nerve palsy in an otherwise healthy 8-day-old boy following neonatal hepatitis B vaccination. A complete workup, including magnetic resonance imaging of the brain and orbits revealed no abnormalities. The patient recovered fully, with no recurrence of the abducens nerve palsy despite receiving the full course of the hepatitis B vaccine as well as other recommended immunizations through 18 months of age. We review the literature regarding vaccination-induced abducens nerve palsy and discuss the possible mechanisms of injury.