In lateral rectus palsy of the right side, the face of the patient is turned to which of the following sides?
## Core Concept
Lateral rectus palsy involves the inability to abduct the eye due to weakness of the **lateral rectus muscle**, which is innervated by the **abducens nerve (CN VI)**. This condition leads to an inability to move the affected eye outward, resulting in **esotropia** (inward deviation of the eye).
## Why the Correct Answer is Right
In lateral rectus palsy of the right side, the right eye cannot move outward (abduct) due to the weakness of the lateral rectus muscle. As a result, the eye deviates inward (toward the nose). To compensate for the diplopia (double vision) caused by the inward deviation, the patient turns their face **toward the side of the palsy**, which in this case is the **right side**. This compensatory head movement helps align the eyes and reduces diplopia.
## Why Each Wrong Option is Incorrect
- **Option A:** Turning the face to the opposite side of the palsy (left side) would actually worsen the diplopia by increasing the angle of deviation between the two eyes.
- **Option B:** This option is not provided, but based on the correct answer, we can infer it would be incorrect for similar reasons as Option A.
- **Option D:** This option suggests turning the face to the side opposite of the correct answer, which would not compensate for the esotropia caused by right lateral rectus palsy.
## Clinical Pearl / High-Yield Fact
A key point to remember is that in a patient with lateral rectus palsy, the head is turned **toward the side of the lesion** to compensate for the inability to abduct the eye and to minimize diplopia. This is a classic clinical correlation that can be tested in various forms.
**Correct Answer: C. Right side**