1/454. carbon monoxide poisoning causes optic neuropathy.PURPOSE: To describe the electrophysiological and psychophysical effects of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning on visual function. methods: Three patients are presented who suffered CO poisoning, two due to suicide attempts and one in the course of a road traffic accident. After a full ocular examination, Goldmann visual fields, flash and pattern visual evoked potentials (VEPs) and flash and pattern electroretinograms (ERGs) were tested. RESULTS: electrophysiology showed reduced or absent N95 components of the pattern ERG and delayed, reduced VEPs. A positive-negative-positive (PNP) VEP waveform was seen in two cases. In one case, where presentation occurred at an early stage, visual and electrophysiological function was improved with hydroxycobalamine. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of ERG and VEP findings suggest that CO poisoning can cause a toxic optic neuropathy that may have a similar aetiological mechanism to that in tobacco amblyopia. Early treatment with hydroxycobalamine may be of some benefit.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = ocular (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/454. Paintball ocular injuries.INTRODUCTION: Six cases of ocular injury following paintball injuries sustained during war games are described. A CO2-powered rifle shoots a 14 mm plastic-coated paintball at participants. The muzzle velocity of the gun is 250 ft/sec (76 m/sec). Locally manufactured paintballs are harder than the more expensive imported varieties and may account for the severity of our reported injuries. METHOD: Six patients presented to a retinal specialist with various ocular injuries, predominantly of the posterior pole. RESULTS: All patients were young males. There were no cases of ocular penetration. A variety of retinal pathologies was noted, with three cases requiring surgery; however this did not significantly improve the visual outcome. CONCLUSIONS: These cases highlight the severe ocular injuries that may occur from paintball injuries. Recommendations to avoid ocular injury are made.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 9keywords = ocular (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/454. The automatic occluder, a new concept.An electro-mechanical occluder is described for use in treating problems of binocular vision. A number of methods of achieving the automatic occluder goal are reviewed. Early results of clinical studies now in progress indicate that the "autocluder" has unique clinical usefulness.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = ocular (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/454. Ocular findings in ichthyosis follicularis, atrichia, and photophobia syndrome.ichthyosis follicularis, atrichia, and photophobia (IFAP) are typical features of a rare neuroichthyosis termed IFAP syndrome. We demonstrate the ultrastructural findings of the eyes from a 33-year-old patient with IFAP syndrome. Clinically, eyebrows and eyelashes were absent from birth, and photophobia was noted at the age of 1 year. The globes measured 28 and 29 mm, respectively, and both eyes showed a posterior staphyloma. Histopathologically, bilateral centrally located subepithelial avascular corneal scarring with secondary corneal amyloid deposition was found. In addition to already described ocular abnormalities in IFAP syndrome we demonstrate ultrastructural anomalies of desmosomes and tonofilaments in corneal epithelium; defects of basement membrane, Bowman layer, and anchoring fibrils; secondary corneal amyloid deposition; and keratocyte degeneration. A defective tear film, recurrent atopic keratoconjunctival inflammations, or a primary anomaly of corneal epithelial adhesion are potential causes for the corneal defects. photophobia is most likely due to corneal abnormalities.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = ocular (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/454. Anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy in a patient with optic disc drusen.BACKGROUND: Although visual field defects are well-known complications of optic disc drusen, reduction in visual acuity with this condition is rare. METHOD/RESULTS: We report on a 68-year-old male with bilateral optic disc drusen who presented with monocular loss of vision in the right eye associated with an inferior altitudinal visual field defect and signs consistent with acute anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy, confirmed on fluorescein angiography. He also had a left inferior nasal step, but no evidence of glaucomatous cupping. The disc drusen were documented clinically and on B scan ultrasound and computed tomography. CONCLUSIONS: The diagnosis of acute anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy should be considered in patients with optic disc drusen who present with reduced visual acuity, particularly when the visual loss has been acute and non-progressive and is associated with altitudinal field loss and characteristic fluorescein angiography signs.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = ocular (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/454. Fetal alcohol syndrome.BACKGROUND: Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) describes the systemic and ocular anomalies resulting from the teratogenic effect of maternal alcohol abuse during pregnancy. It is a leading cause of preventable birth defects in the U.S. case reports: Two case reports illustrate the characteristic findings in FAS. These include growth retardation, cognitive impairment, and facial dysmorphism. Ocular signs are prevalent, including small palpebral fissure, microcornea, strabismus, myopia, astigmatism, and optic nerve hypoplasia. DISCUSSION: Fetal alcohol exposure can lead to a wide spectrum of systemic defects and vision deficits. The increasing frequency of drinking among pregnant women in recent years should call more public attention to this detrimental yet preventable syndrome. CONCLUSION: The high frequency of ocular manifestations aids in making a diagnosis of FAS, which can be challenging. Eye-care professionals can play an important role in patient management and the educational process.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2keywords = ocular (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/454. A visually impaired savant artist: interacting perceptual and memory representations.In this single case study, paintings by a visually impaired and cognitively handicapped savant artist are evaluated. He paints his pictures exclusively from memory, either after having looked at a natural scene through binoculars, or after studying landscape photographs in brochures, catalogues, and books. The paintings are compared with the models from which they were derived, and the resulting generative changes are accounted for by an interaction between impaired visual input and memory transformations.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = ocular (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/454. Increased intraocular pressure and visual field defects in high resistance wind instrument players.OBJECTIVE: In this twofold study, part 1 aimed to determine whether the playing of high resistance wind instruments elevates intraocular pressure (IOP) and if so, to investigate the mechanism of IOP elevation and whether its magnitude differs while playing high resistance versus low resistance instruments. The purpose of part 2 was to evaluate whether high resistance players have a greater incidence of glaucomatous changes than other musicians. DESIGN: Three case reports and a cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS: Two players of high resistance instruments and one player of high and low resistance wind instruments participated in part 1 of the study. Nine high resistance wind players, 12 low resistance wind players, and 24 nonwind players were recruited among professional musicians in the boston area to participate in part 2. INTERVENTION: In part 1, IOP and uveal thickness changes were measured by pneumatonometry and ultrasound biomicroscopy in two participants playing their high resistance wind instruments (trumpet and oboe) and in a third participant playing both high (trumpet) and low (clarinet and saxaphone) resistance instruments. Each musician in part 2 underwent medical and musical history, measurement of IOP, Humphrey visual field testing, slit-lamp examination, gonioscopy, and dilated examination. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: intraocular pressure and uveal thickness changes, and visual field loss and optic nerve head appearance were the main parameters measured in part 1 and part 2, respectively. RESULTS: In part 1, pneumatonometry showed IOP elevation dependent on the force of blowing, and ultrasound biomicroscopy revealed uveal thickening associated with IOP elevation. The magnitude of IOP elevation was dependent on the amount of expiratory resistance provided by the particular instrument. Part 2 showed that life hours of high resistance wind instrument playing had a significant relationship to abnormal visual field (P = 0.03) and corrected pattern standard deviation (CPSD) scores (P = 0.007) in univariate logistic regression and univariate linear regression, respectively. A 0.011-unit increase in CPSD for each 1000 life hours of high resistance wind playing was found. CONCLUSIONS: High and low resistance wind musicians experience a transient rise in their IOP while playing their instruments as a result least in part of uveal engorgement. The magnitude of IOP increase is greater in high resistance wind players versus low resistance wind players. High resistance wind musicians had a small but significantly greater incidence of visual field loss (abnormal fields and increased CPSD scores) than other musicians, which was related to life hours of playing. The cumulative effects of long-term intermittent IOP elevation during high resistance wind instrument playing may result in glaucomatous damage, which could be misdiagnosed as normal-tension glaucoma.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 6keywords = ocular (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/454. Progressive cone dystrophies.patients with progressive generalized cone dystrophy often present nystagmus (or strabism) and complain of photophobia, decrease in visual acuity or disturbances in colour perception. The most classic fundus abnormality is the bull's eye maculopathy or a pallor of the optic disc. Minimal macular changes are sometimes seen, which may progress to a bull's eye type of macular degeneration. The photopic ERG is always very affected, whereas at first the scotopic ERG seems normal. Progressive deterioration of the visual functions is accompanied by increasing fundus lesions and rod involvement, as suggested by the modifications of the dark adaptation curve and the scotopic ERG. However, the progression of typical generalized cone dysfunction is very slow. On the contrary, in some cases of so-called Stargardt's disease with peripheral participation, a very rapid progression has been observed. In such cases a normal ERG does not necessarily mean that the disease will remain localized to the macular area. No definite prognosis can be made on one single ERG. In 3 cases with sector pigmentary retinopathy the photopic ERG was more affected than the scotopic ERG. However, these cases are probably primary cone-rod dystrophies. Although there is no electrophysiological control, our clinical impression is that the evolution, if possible, is very slow.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.10171591675276keywords = dystrophy (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/454. A sighting of orbital pseudotumor.A 39-year-old woman developed bilateral proptosis, photophobia, and pain with extraocular movements over the course of 5 days. Her findings initially were ocular pain and photophobia which progressed to periorbital edema and nasal discharge ultimately resulting in proptosis with vertical globe displacement and decreased visual acuity. She was diagnosed with corneal abrasion and sinusitis respectively during two initial emergency department visits. On her third visit to the emergency department within 4 days, she developed acute visual deficits. The patient was subsequently diagnosed with orbital pseudotumor after computed tomography scan revealed inflammation of orbital structures bilaterally.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2keywords = ocular (Clic here for more details about this article) |
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