Frederick C. Blodi

Electromyographic study of reciprocal innervation in blinking

BLINKING is a brief, synchronous closure of the lids of the two eyes. Spontaneous or involuntary blinking occurs at a variable rate. It may be easily imitated on volition or elicited reflexly but, in any case, the movement pattern is similar. Lid closure normally persists for less than one-fifth second. The role of gravity is of little consequence and inertia of the lids is small. The rapid movement of the lids is permitted by a closely timed reciprocal innervation which avoids simultaneous contraction of levator and orbicularis even for the brief time involved. The reciprocal relationship of levator palpebrae superioris and orbicularis oculi in the normal has been described by Gordon,’ by Bjork,* and by Bjork and Kugelberg,3 but limited attention’ has been given to its study in disease states.

Congenital Generalized Multicentric Myofibromatosis With Orbital Involvement

We studied a rare case of congenital myofibromatosis of the orbit as part of a generalized multicentric disease in a 5-month-old boy. The ultrasonographic and computed tomographic findings were those of a low-reflective, firm, vascularized, lesion with heterogenous internal structure. The histopathologic findings showed vascular channels with large polygonal cells and transition toward myofibroblasts with interwoven collagen fiber bundles.

Differential Diagnosis of Eye Diseases

The author, who is professor of ophthalmology at Dusseldorf, West Germany, has used an interesting and novel approach for the discussion of ocular diseases. For each sign and symptom, the differential diagnosis is discussed in detail. This should be an easy and excellent way of diagnosing any affection of the visual system. The text is precise and concise. Numerous subheadings provide a systematic approach to the topics and

Georg Joseph Beer: a review of his life and contributions.

The establishment of ophthalmology as an independent scientific speciality came about largely through the efforts and example of Georg Joseph Beer in Vienna in the early nineteenth century. Beer was outstanding in his clinical practice of ophthalmology and surgery, as a teacher and as an author. He was the founder of the first ophthalmological school and clinic. His greatest text was his Lehre von den Augenkrankheiten, the first volume of which appeared in 1813 and the second in 1817. In 1819, George C. Monteath translated and edited the work. For the English-speaking physician this translation remains the finest testament to Georg Beer’s genius and perception.

Comparative Ophthalmic Pathology

Dr Peiffer has gathered nine authors to produce an excellent book on veterinary ophthalmic pathology. Most of the authors come from the United States, one is from Canada,

Compendium of Ophthalmology

This interesting book was prepared by the three authors with the help of the staff of the Department of Ophthalmology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, Montefiore Medical Center, New York. It consists of four parts. The first part is the most extensive and important one and deals with clinical terms. It is a dictionary of ophthalmologic terms and as such it is most useful and helpful. I do not know of any similar collection that has been published during the last decades. This should be an invaluable source of information for anybody who would like to check a new term or an unfamiliar expression. The second part deals with ocular syndromes, the third part with ocular signs, and the fourth part with the anatomy and embryology of the visual organ. There is no question that this is a welcome contribution; the only problem I can see for

Manual of Retinal and Choroidal Dystrophies

This short monograph serves as an introduction to the hereditary diseases of the retina and the choroid. It begins with an excellent chapter on diagnostic tests. The classification of the diseases is clear and to the point. The absence of fundus pictures limits the usefulness of this manual, but it is intended to be a first primer for these conditions. The descriptions are excellent and the bibliography most useful. This book is recommended for interns and residents.

The Cornea in Measles

This monograph describes the clinical and laboratory findings of patients with measles keratoconjunctivitis in western Kenya, where the project was supported by Dutch laboratories. The postmeasles blindness produced by corneal opacities and ulcers represents an important public health aspect in developing countries. It is not clear why this is so. Some people have assumed that any infectious disease with fever could deplete the meager vitamin A storage in the body and produce a keratomalacia leading to corneal necrosis and scarring. However, the author could find viral agents (both measles and herpes simplex) with elegant immunofluorescent tests from the corneal lesions.

The Visual Fields: A Textbook and Atlas of Clinical Perimetry

This is the fifth edition of the well-known textbook on visual fields. The first edition was published exactly 20 years ago, and it is to the credit of the author that he has continued to improve the book and bring the text and the pictures up to date. This edition, for the first time, includes some examples from computerized automatic perimeters. The book contains only a sprinkling of these new sources of information and acts only to whet our appetite about a new technique that is certainly going to revolutionize perimetry. The author, with his strong background in neurology and neurosurgery, has brought many aspects of visual field defects in neurologic disorders up to date. A number of computed tomographic scan pictures have been incorporated to explain the field loss more vividly. This also explains why there are still some tangent screen fields depicted, though most workers in the field

Atlas of the Human Skull

This is mainly a teaching device, and the excellent photographs of human bones are supplemented by colored schematic drawings. Eleven pages are devoted to the orbit. They should certainly be of benefit to any surgeon who contemplates opening this cavity.