Marilyn B. Mets

Ocular Deviation After Retinal Detachment Surgery

Thirty patients with untreated rhegmatogenous retinal detachments underwent complete ocular muscle examinations before scleral buckling procedures. The examination was repeated three weeks, six weeks, three months, and six months after surgery. We found a high incidence of heterotropia after surgery; in most cases this resolved during the first six postoperative months. This resolution progressed from heterotropia to heterophoria to orthophoria. We believe this change results from phoria adaptation. Diplopia occurred in three patients. We found no statistically significant association between this diplopia and the type of surgery used.

Probable autosomal dominant optic atrophy with hearing loss

The seventh family manifesting an entity described as automosal dominant optic atrophy with hearing loss is reported here. This disorder shows great inter- and intrafamilial variation in the onset time and the degree of loss of both vision and hearing. Unlike autosomal dominant optic atrophy without hearing loss, it appears to be associated with a red-green (deutan) defect in color vision.

The eye and the chromosome

The first linkage of disease traits on the human X-chromosome was reported in 1937, and the first assignment of a human disease to an autosome was made 26 years later in 1963. Now, after only 19 years, there are at least 338 assignments to loci on the human chromosome map. This amazing expansion of information extends to eye diseases. In this review, basic mechanisms of mutation are discussed, and the basic methodologies used for gene assignments are explained. All of the eye-related, definite, autosomal assignments are presented. The diseases that have regional assignments on the X-chromosome are discussed, and the remaining X-linked eye diseases are listed in table form.

Contact lenses in the management of myopic anisometropic amblyopia

We treated 16 patients aged 1 1/2 to 11 years with myopic anisometropic amblyopia with contact-lens correction of refractive error and occlusion. The degree of visual improvement compared favourably with that reported with the use of spectacles. There were no complications from contact lenses, and only one patient required anesthesia for fitting. Contact lenses appear to be more satisfactory than spectacle lenses in the management of myopic anisometropic amblyopia in regard to cosmesis, comfort, and treatment compliance. Patients with myelinated retinal nerve fibers and unilateral severe myopia had a poor visual prognosis. Treatment should not be abandoned in these children, but prolonged occlusion is not indicated. The presence of strabismus at the start of treatment appeared to have little effect on the final visual results. Most patients with strabismus responded well to occlusion, and all such children should be considered candidates for treatment of their amblyopia.