Cranial nerves (examination)

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).