Temporary Diplopia After Gow-Gates Injection: Case Report and Review

Abstract

Complications associated with various local anesthetic techniques have been recorded in case reports and reviews. This current case reports a transient incident of blurred, double vision (diplopia) following a Gow-Gates mandibular block injection. There is descriptive discussion on possibilities associated with intra-arterial injection, intravenous injection, diffusion through tissue planes, and the autonomic nervous system pathway to lend credence suggesting the etiology of the complication. For practitioners, recognizing when a complication arises from anesthesia delivery and managing the patient in an appropriate manner is essential to an overall agreeable outcome.

Amaurosis and transient diplopia, a rare complication secondary to mandibular nerve block: A case report

“…[6] The hypothesis of retrograde flow of anesthetic solution within the vascular system is the most commonly suggested cause of ocular complications following dental injection found in the literature. [16] In this mechanism, there were two arteries close to our block site. One was the middle meningeal artery, and the other was the more likely maxillary artery.…”