Abstract: With the rapid development of modern medical imaging technology, magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) plays an increasingly important role in studing the etiology of congenital external opthalmoplegia and acquired extraocular muscles paralysis. Oculomotor nerves may be affected by the intracranial lesions, and develop external ophthalmoplegia. MRI could depict the relationship between the nerves and its adjacent lesions. 3D-FIESTA MRI could also directly demonstrate abnormality of cranial nerves（Ⅲ、Ⅵ、Ⅶ） in the cistern segment, and could be used for diagnosis and differential diagnosis of congenital neurogenic strabismus. Orbital 99mTc labeled octreotide SPECT/CT has a good prospect in evaluating activity and treatment effect of active thyroid associated ophthalmopathy. (Ophthalmol CHN, 2013, 22: 289-291)

Key words: magnetic resonance imaging, external ophthalmoplegia, thyroid associated ophthalmopathy, radionuclide imaging, etiological analysis