Short-term use of inhaled and intranasal corticosteroids is not associated with glaucoma progression on optical coherence tomography.

PURPOSE: To compare the changes in retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness and optic nerve cup/disc ratio on optical coherence tomography (OCT) between users and nonusers of inhaled and intranasal corticosteroids (ICS). METHODS: Retrospective study of participants with glaucoma or glaucoma suspect having 2 or more OCTs during a 6-year period. The rates of change in Stratus OCT fast RNFL thickness scan and fast optic disc scan data were compared between ICS users and nonuser controls using random coefficient models. RESULTS: A total of 170 participants met the inclusion criteria, of whom 42 (25%) were ICS users and 128 (75%) were controls. The mean duration of follow-up was 3.2 years. There were no significant differences in the mean rates of change in superior RNFL (-0.8874 µm/y ICS users; -0.8592 µm/y controls; p=0.943), nasal RNFL (-0.0529 µm/y ICS users; -0.3577 µm/y controls; p=0.419), inferior RNFL (0.2703 µm/y ICS users; -0.1910 µm/y controls; p=0.165), and temporal RNFL (-0.3618 µm/y ICS users; -0.3612 µm/y controls; p=0.998) between ICS users and controls. There were no significant differences in the mean rates of change in horizontal cup/disc ratio (-0.0047 µm/y ICS users; 0.0002 µm/y controls; p=0.212) and vertical cup/disc ratio (0.0013 µm/y ICS users; 0.0029 µm/y; p=0.717) between ICS users and controls. CONCLUSIONS: We found no significant difference in the rates of RNFL or optic nerve cup/disc ratio progression among individuals with glaucoma or glaucoma suspect following short-term ICS use.

Metastases to Meckel's cave: report of two cases and comparative analysis of malignant tumors with meningioma and schwannoma of Meckel's cave.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate clinical characteristics of patients with malignant tumors of Meckel's cave with two illustrative cases. A comparative analysis of clinical features of malignant tumors of Meckel's cave with meningioma and schwannoma of Meckel's cave is discussed. METHODS: We report two cases of malignant tumors involving Meckel's cave. We identified 19 additional cases of malignant tumors of Meckel's cave in the literature. We analyzed the symptoms, results of neurological and radiographic examination, pre-operative diagnosis and final diagnosis of these tumors. Our findings were then compared with well described case series of meningioma and schwannoma involving Meckel's cave. RESULTS: Of the 21 patients with malignant tumor involving Meckel's cave, 76% (16/21) had pain, 67% (14/21) had paraesthesia, 89% (17/21) had objective evidence of trigeminal sensory involvement and 42% (8/21) had objective evidence of trigeminal motor involvement. In contrast, of patients with trigeminal schwannomas [1], only 23% presented with pain, 36% with paraesthesia, 74% with objective evidence of trigeminal involvement and 42% with trigeminal motor involvement. Pain and paraesthesia were seen more often in malignant tumors. In Delfini et al.'s [2] series of meningiomas involving Meckel's cave, 81% of patients presented with pain, 25% with paraesthesia, 63% with trigeminal sensory deficits and only 13% with trigeminal motor involvement. Patients with malignant tumors were more likely to be older, and have paraesthesia in comparison with patients with meningioma. CONCLUSION: Subtle clinical clues may help differentiate malignant from benign involvement of Meckel's cave. We emphasize the need to thoroughly investigate patients early for a possible primary as well as metastases, in those found to have a lesion in the Meckel's cave.

Recurrent epileptic Wernicke aphasia.

We report a patient with recurrent epileptic Wernicke aphasia who prior to this presentation, had been misdiagnosed as transient ischemic attacks for several years. This case report emphasizes the consideration of epileptic nature of aphasia when a clear alternate etiology is unavailable, even when EEG fails to show a clear ictal pattern. We also present a brief discussion of previously reported ictal aphasias.

Salmonella brain abscess in a patient on chronic azathioprine therapy for myasthenia gravis: report of an unusual case and review of literature in the postantibiotic era.

Focal intracranial infections caused by Salmonella species in adults are exceedingly uncommon. Structural brain injury with coexisting immunocompromised status appears to predispose adults to this rare manifestation of Salmonella infection. We report a case of Salmonella brain abscess in a patient with myasthenia gravis on chronic azathioprine therapy without any prior structural brain lesion. We reviewed world literature and discuss their analysis of Salmonella brain abscess in adult population in the postantibiotic era.

Visual neuropraxia and progressive vision loss from thyroid-associated stretch optic neuropathy.

PURPOSE: Animal models have provided information on the tensile strength of the optic nerve, but to our knowledge no in vivo study of the tensile strength of the human optic nerve has been reported. Accordingly, we present 3 cases of stretch optic neuropathy, an often unrecognized cause of vision loss from thyroid eye disease. METHODS: Observational study of thyroid-associated stretch optic neuropathy. RESULTS: Three cases of stretch optic neuropathy were identified. Visual acuity was better than 20/40. Two patients had arcuate scotoma. Moderate to severe proptosis of 25 to 33 mm was present, without evidence of apical orbital compression. Two patients had retinal hemorrhages suggesting venous stasis retinopathy; the venous stasis retinopathy resolved after orbital decompression. Orbital decompression resulted in improvement of visual function. The rate of decibel sensitivity loss on automated perimetry was estimated at -0.042 dB/da in one case, with complete blindness projected to occur within 785 days from the onset of visual symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Stretch optic neuropathy presents initially as neuropraxia with temporary visual loss. Orbital decompression should be considered for treatment before permanent and irreversible visual loss ensues.