Isolated abducens nerve palsy complicating cytomegalovirus infection.

This report describes an immunocompetent 5-year-old female with isolated abducens nerve palsy complicating a cytomegalovirus infection and documented with polymerase chain reaction performed on cerebrospinal fluid; treatment with ganciclovir was associated with rapid clinical improvement. It may be the first report of cytomegalovirus detected in the central nervous system as a cause of isolated abducens nerve palsy.