Two cases of Korean medicine treatment for patients with diabetic ischemic cranial nerve palsy accompanied by ptosis and ocular motor disorders

Objectives: Ischemic cranial nerve palsy leads to ptosis and oculomotor disorders, significantly impairing patient quality of life. This case report aimed to evaluate the effects of integrated Korean medicine on these symptoms.Methods: Two patients with ischemic cranial nerve palsy, with ptosis and oculomotor disorders, received Korean medicine treatments including acupuncture, electroacupuncture, pharmacopuncture, moxibustion, and Hyulbuchuke-tang. Treatment efficacy was evaluated using marginal reflex distance 1, Palpebral Fissure Height, ocular motor function, EuroQol 5-Dimension 5-Level, EQ-VAS, and photographs.Results: Patient 1 showed improvement after 19 days and achieved near-complete recovery within 2 months. Patient 2 showed improvement after 30 days, demonstrating similar level of recovery within 2.5 months. Both patients exhibited improvements in objective indicators and quality of life.Conclusions: This study suggests Korean medicines, including Hyulbuchuke-tang, can effectively treat ischemic cranial nerve palsy with ptosis and ocular motor disorders, offering a nonsurgical treatment option in patients with blood stasis pathology.