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Show Journal of Neitm- Opiithalmology 81( 1): 66, 1998. © 1998 Lippincott- Raven Publishers, Philadelphia Literature Abstracts- Europe Dry Eye and Meige's Syndrome. Tsubota K, Fujihara T, Kaido M, Mori A, Mimura M, Kato M. Br J Ophthalmol 1997; 81: 439- 42. [ Reprint requests to Dr. Kazuo Tsubota, Department of Ophthalmology, Tokyo, Dental College, 11- 13, Sugano 5 Chome, Ichikawa- shi, Chiba, Japan, 272.] A total of 325 patients with dry eyes were divided into those responsive to topical treatment and nonresponders. Fifty- seven percent of the treated unresponsive patients were diagnosed with Meige's syndrome. This article stresses that patients not responding to conventional treatment of dry eyes should be recognized. Whether that surprisingly high number of patients with Meige's syndrome can be reproduced in a non- Japanese population must be studied. The Bowman Lecture Papilledema: " The Pendulum of Progress." Sanders M. Eye 1997; 11: 267- 94. [ Reprint requests to Mr. M. D. Sanders, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, England.] Sometimes too many words lower the essence of the object they describe. This major paper on papilledema should not be summarized but studied and enjoyed. So do it! Ocular Neuromyotonia in a Case of Paget's Disease of Bone. Boschi A, Spiritus M, Cioffi M, Devogelaer JP, Bergmans J. Neuro ophthalmology 1997; 18: 67- 71. [ Reprint requests to Dr. Antonella Broschi, Department of Ophthalmology, St. Luc University Hospital, UCL University, 10 Hippocrate Avenue, 1200 Brussels, Belgium.] Ocular neuromyotonia is a rare disorder that manifests with short episodes of binocular diplopia. This article reports a case of ocular neuromyotonia in a 72- year- old woman with Paget's disease. The authors present this case with nice electromyographic recordings of the involved medial rectus muscle at rest and during diplopia episodes. The treatment of this bothersome condition consisted of oral carbamazepine. Randomised Trial of Oral and Intravenous Methyl-prednisolone in Acute Relapses of Multiple Sclerosis. Barnes D, Hughes RAC, Morris RW, Wade- Jones O, H. Esriel Killer, M. D. Brown P, Britton T, Francis DA, Perkin GD, Rudge P, Swash M, Katifi H, Farmer S, Frankel J. Lancet 1997; 349: 1997. [ Reprint requests to Dr. D. Barnes, Department of Neurology, Atkinson Morley's Hospital, Wimbledon, London SW20 ONE, England.] How to treat multiple sclerosis is still an issue of ( regional) preference. The same is true for the management of optic neuritis, although recommendations can be drawn from the optic neuritis treatment trial. Barnes and colleagues studied the outcome of oral and intravenous methylprednisolone therapy in 80 patients with the relapsing form of multiple sclerosis ( double- blind placebo-controlled trial). The results were clinically measured using the Kurtzke's expanded disability status scale and Hauser's Ambulatory Index and arm- function index. There were no significant differences between the two groups at any stage in the study. The authors recommend that it is therefore preferable to prescribe oral rather than intravenous steroids for acute relapses in multiple sclerosis for " reasons of patient convenience, safety and cost." Whether the same recommendation might be used for the treatment of optic neuritis needs to be evaluated. Contrast Sensitivity in Benign Intracranial Hypertension. Stavrou P, Honan WP. Neuroophthalmology 1997; 17: 127- 34. [ Reprint requests to Dr. W. P. Honan, Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, Wonford, Barrack Road, Exeter, EX2 5DW, England.] The management of benign intracranial hypertension ( BIH) depends on the severity of visual loss. As seen in other etiologies for papilledema, the fundus appearance and the loss of visual function ( visual acuity, color vision, visual field, etc.) does not have a strict correlation. In order to administer the best treatment, early functional defects should be diagnosed. This article evaluates the practical role of contrast sensitivity testing in patients with BIH. Twenty- six eyes of BIH patients were tested and compared with those of a matched control group. The visual acuity in the BIH group was normal in 22 eyes. However, contrast sensitivity was significantly reduced in the BIH group at all spatial frequencies. Contrast sensitivity therefore is more sensitive than Snellen visual acuity and represents a valuable tool in assessment and follow- up in patients with BIH. 66 |