Robert W. Enzenauer

Retinal findings after head trauma in infants and young children.

BACKGROUND Many authorities believe that the finding of retinal hemorrhages in a child younger than 3 years of age with a history of head trauma, in the absence of an obvious cause for the injury, is pathognomonic of child abuse. To date, no studies have examined the prospective retinal examination of children who have had head trauma. The authors undertook such a study because the presence of retinal hemorrhage from any head trauma in children may have medicolegal diagnostic significance in differentiating accidental from nonaccidental trauma. METHODS Seventy-nine children younger than 3 years of age, each of whom experienced head injury, underwent an ophthalmologic assessment, which included a dilated funduscopic examination. RESULTS Seventy-five children sustained accidental head injuries and had normal funduscopic examinations. Three children had nonaccidental head injuries and all were found to have varying degrees of retinal hemorrhages. One child, with a normal fundus examination, had injuries that were of indeterminate cause. CONCLUSION The finding of retinal hemorrhages in a child with a head injury suggests a nonaccidental cause.

Screening for Ocular Toxicity in Asymptomatic Patients Treated with Tamoxifen

Tamoxifen is an antiestrogen drug used in the treatment of patients with breast cancer that is being studied for use in patients at high risk for developing breast cancer. Case reports have documented ocular toxicity caused by tamoxifen in patients with visual symptoms. We attempted to determine the prevalence of ocular toxicity in visually asymptomatic tamoxifen-treated patients. We performed extensive ocular examinations on 135 visually asymptomatic tamoxifen-treated patients. Two patients (1.5%) had intraretinal refractile crystals consistent with tamoxifen retinopathy. Both patients were without visual symptoms or visual loss. Corneal crystals, macular edema, and optic nerve changes were absent. The cumulative tamoxifen doses of these two patients were 10.9 and 21.9 g, respectively. For the 135 patients studied, the mean cumulative dose was 17.2 g, with a standard deviation of 13.0. We do not believe the relatively uncommon finding of tamoxifen-related ocular toxicity merits special screening for such disease.

Stability of the Postoperative Alignment in Adjustable-Suture Strabismus Surgery

We reviewed the postoperative alignment drift in 201 patients between the ages of 14 and 75 years who underwent rectus muscle surgery with adjustable sutures from 1984 to 1989. We analyzed results for 42 primary esotropia (ET) surgeries and 37 reoperations (groups IA and IB, respectively), 34 exotropia (XT) primary surgeries and 66 reoperations (groups IIA and IIB, respectively), and 22 hypertropia (HT) surgeries (group III). Forty percent of patients required postoperative muscle adjustment. All patients underwent a minimum of 8-weeks follow up; 66% underwent 6-months follow up or longer. The postoperative drifts in alignment for primary surgeries versus reoperations were not significantly different for either ET or XT patients. The mean postoperative drift in prism diopters from the alignment immediately after the adjustment, or after the surgery if no adjustment was needed, for each group as measured during the most recent follow up was 1.3 eso-shift for group IA, 1.2 exo-shift for group IB, 4.8 exo-shift for group IIA, 4.1 exo-shift for group IIB, and 1.5 hyper-shift for group III. Only for groups IIA and IIB were these drifts found to differ significantly from zero. Based on these drift patterns, we align ET patients to orthotropia, XT patients to 5 to 7 delta esotropic, and HT patients to 1 to 2 delta hypotropic positions.

The management of strabismus in adults—I. clinical characteristics and treatment

INTRODUCTION This is the first in a series of articles intended to evaluate the management of strabismus in adults, including clinical outcomes and the quality, cost, and value of treatment from the perspectives of patients and health care providers. Here we present clinical characteristics, complexity of surgery, treatment success, and resolved complaints in a group of adult patients who underwent strabismus surgery. METHODS This is a multicenter retrospective study analyzing the type and amount of ocular misalignment before and after surgery in adult patients with strabismus onset before (BVM, or age < 9 years) or after (AVM, or age >/= 9 years) visual maturation. Success was evaluated in terms of alignment, motility, and the presence of diplopia; subjective success was measured in terms of resolved complaints. The complexity of surgery was determined using the Intensity/Complexity Index and compared with success rates. RESULTS Data are reported on 299 patients (90 BVM and 145 AVM) whose eyes were successfully aligned in 63% of the BVM cases and 81% of the AVM cases. Subjective complaints resolved at similar rates in the BVM and AVM subgroups. Successful alignment was not correlated with complexity of surgery, but motility and sensory success rates were correlated with complexity of surgery. CONCLUSION Within each of the BVM and AVM subgroups, this study of adult strabismus showed similar surgical success rates compared with published data. This qualifies these patient groups as clinically typical of adults undergoing strabismus surgery. Additional studies will expand on health value analyses.

Unilateral Surgery for Exotropia With Convergence Weakness

We prospectively studied 14 patients whom we treated surgically for exotropia (XT) with convergence weakness measuring at least 8 delta for distance (6 m) that increased at least 8 delta at near (1/3 m). Surgery involved lateral rectus recessions and medial rectus strengthenings (advancements or resections) to eliminate distance and near deviations and simultaneously collapse near-distance differences. The medial rectus was strengthened more than the lateral rectus was recessed; amounts were based on the near deviation. Minimum follow-up was 6 months after surgery. Preoperatively, the mean XT at distance was 18.3 delta (range, 8 to 35 delta) and at near 30.1 delta (range, 16 to 50 delta). At latest follow-up evaluations the mean distance deviation was 0.1 delta XT and at near 1.8 delta XT. The near-distance differences were reduced by a mean of 10.2 delta; the mean postoperative difference was 1.7 delta. Unilateral surgery for XT with convergence weakness biased to medial rectus strengthening and geared to near deviation can successfully collapse the near-distance differences while satisfactorily aligning both distance and near fixation. This surgery has low risk of creating long-term postoperative esodeviations at distance.

Aicardi syndrome--the elusive mild case.

Aicardi syndrome is a severe congenital disorder characterised by infantile spasms, chorioretinal lacunae, and agenesis ofthe corpus callosum. We present the case of a 10-year-old girl whose symptoms included a poorly controlled seizure disorder, typical lacunar retinopathy, partial hypoplasia of the corpus callosum, and mild developmental delay. This case alerts ophthalmologists to the presence of a mild form of the typical Aicardi syndrome that can be diagnosed by the characteristic chorioretinopathy. Our patients symptoms also raise important questions about genetic counselling and other undiagnosed cases of infantile spasms.

Silibinin, dexamethasone, and doxycycline as potential therapeutic agents for treating vesicant-inflicted ocular injuries.

There are no effective and approved therapies against devastating ocular injuries caused by vesicating chemical agents sulfur mustard (SM) and nitrogen mustard (NM). Herein, studies were carried out in rabbit corneal cultures to establish relevant ocular injury biomarkers with NM for screening potential efficacious agents in laboratory settings. NM (100nmol) exposure of the corneas for 2h (cultured for 24h), showed increases in epithelial thickness, ulceration, apoptotic cell death, epithelial detachment microbullae formation, and the levels of VEGF, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9). Employing these biomarkers, efficacy studies were performed with agent treatments 2h and every 4h thereafter, for 24h following NM exposure. Three agents were evaluated, including prescription drugs dexamethasone (0.1%; anti-inflammatory steroid) and doxycycline (100nmol; antibiotic and MMP inhibitor) that have been studied earlier for treating vesicant-induced eye injuries. We also examined silibinin (100μg), a non-toxic natural flavanone found to be effective in treating SM analog-induced skin injuries in our earlier studies. Treatments of doxycycline+dexamethasone, and silibinin were more effective than doxycycline or dexamethasone alone in reversing NM-induced epithelial thickening, microbullae formation, apoptotic cell death, and MMP-9 elevation. However, dexamethasone and silibinin alone were more effective in reversing NM-induced VEGF levels. Doxycycline, dexamethasone and silibinin were all effective in reversing NM-induced COX-2 levels. Apart from therapeutic efficacy of doxycycline and dexamethasone, these results show strong multifunctional efficacy of silibinin in reversing NM-induced ocular injuries, which could help develop effective and safe therapeutics against ocular injuries by vesicants.

The Effect of Ketamine on Intraocular Pressure in Pediatric Patients During Procedural Sedation

OBJECTIVES Ketamine is one of the most commonly used procedural sedation and analgesia (PSA) agents in pediatric emergency departments (PEDs). It is considered a very safe and reliable agent, with limited respiratory suppression, hemodynamic effects, and adverse outcomes. However, physicians are often reluctant to use ketamine for patients with eye injuries due to a concern that ketamine might increase intraocular pressure (IOP). The objective was to measure IOP in previously healthy children receiving ketamine for PSA for a reason other than eye injury. METHODS This was a prospective noninferiority study of patients seen in an academic tertiary care childrens hospital emergency department (ED) who required ketamine for PSA. The authors measured IOP in the right eye as soon as possible after ketamine had been administered and then at 2.5, 5, and 10 minutes after ketamine had been administered. RESULTS Eighty patients were enrolled (28 between 1 and 5 years of age, 26 between 6 and 10 years, 26 between 11 and 15 years); 49 (61%) were male. Procedures requiring PSA included fracture/dislocation reduction (63%), abscess incision and drainage (16%), laceration repair (11%), dental abscess incision and drainage (6%), and other (4%). The mean total ketamine dosage was 1.6 mg/kg (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.4 to 1.7). The mean initial IOP was 17.5 mm Hg (95% CI = 16.4 to 18.6 mm Hg) and at 2.5 minutes was 18.9 mm Hg (95% CI = 17.9 to 19.9 mm Hg). The mean difference was 1.4 mm Hg (95% CI = 0.4 to 2.4 mm Hg). Using a noninferiority margin of 2.6 mm Hg (15%), noninferiority (no significant elevation in IOP) was demonstrated with 95% confidence between the first and second readings. CONCLUSIONS  Ketamine does not significantly increase IOP in pediatric patients without eye injuries receiving typical PSA dosages in the PED. Further study should assess its safety in patients with ocular injury.

Retinal hemorrhage after cardiopulmonary resuscitation with chest compressions.

AbstractRetinal hemorrhages in children in the absence of risk factors are regarded to be pathognomonic of shaken baby syndrome or other nonaccidental injuries. The physician must decide whether the retinal hemorrhages in children without risk factors are due to abuse or cardiopulmonary resuscitation with chest compression (CPR-CC). The objective of this study was to determine if CPR-CC can lead to retinal hemorrhages in children. Twenty-two patients who received in-hospital CPR-CC between February 15, 1990, and June 15, 1990, were enrolled. Pediatric ophthalmology fellows carried a code beeper and responded to calls for cardiopulmonary arrest situations. At the scene of CPR-CC, an indirect funduscopic examination was conducted for presence of retinal hemorrhages in the posterior pole. Follow-up examinations were performed at 24 and 72 hours. Of the 22 patients, 6 (27%) had retinal hemorrhages at the time of CPR-CC. Of these 6 patients, 5 had risk factors for retinal hemorrhages. The sixth patient had no risk factors and may have represented the only true case of retinal hemorrhages due to CPR-CC. Retinal hemorrhages are uncommon findings after CPR-CC. Retinal hemorrhages that are found after CPR-CC usually occur in the presence of other risk factors for hemorrhage with a mild hemorrhagic retinopathy in the posterior pole.

5-Fluorouracil reduces scarring after strabismus surgery.

PURPOSE To examine the effect of topically administered 5-fluorouracil during strabismus surgery on post-operative scarring and the strength of the tendon-muscle union. METHODS Bilateral superior and inferior rectus muscle recessions were performed on 10 Stauffland white rabbits. The operated muscles in one eye received a 5-min topical application of 50 mg/mL solution of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). The fellow eye received placebo treatment with a 5-min application of balanced sterile saline. Both eyes were enucleated 29 days postoperatively and examined for evidence of scarring. The tensile strength of both treated and untreated muscles was measured. Two additional rabbits received no surgery but had their eyes enucleated to serve as controls for tensile strength measurements. RESULTS A significant reduction (P = 0.0001) in the amount of scarring was noted in eyes treated with 5-FU. A reduction in the tensile strength of both operated groups compared with the unoperated groups (P = 2.72 x 10(-12)) was noted, with a small but significant difference between the two operated groups (P = 0.0423). CONCLUSION This study suggests that 5-FU may be a useful adjunctive therapy in strabismus surgery, especially when extensive postoperative scarring is expected.