[Psychiatric disorders and associated factors in patients with epilepsy in Fez, Morocco]. / Troubles psychiatriques et facteurs associés chez une population de patients épileptiques à Fès, Maroc.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of psychiatric disorders in epileptic patients remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted in order to determine the prevalence and nature of the psychiatric disorders and the associated factors in patients with idiopathic epilepsy. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted over a period of eighteen months in the psychiatric unit of the University Hospital Hassan II of Fez (Morocco). A questionnaire was completed by the included patients, which specified: the socio-demographic data, personal and family history, and the clinical features of epilepsy and its management. Psychiatric disorders were identified by the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview test (MINI). The severity of the depression and anxiety symptoms was investigated using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Hamilton Rating Scale. RESULTS: Eighty-nine patients met the inclusion criteria. The average age of patients was 29.7±10.8years. Mood disorders were the leading psychiatric comorbidity: 32.6% among which 25.8% of major depressive episodes, 15.7% of dysthymia and 2.2% of hypomanic episodes. Anxiety disorders came second: 28.1% (among which 19.1% panic disorder, 13.5% agoraphobia, 12.4% generalized anxiety disorder, 10.1% social phobia and 4.5% post-traumatic stress disorder). Female gender, unemployment and poor compliance to antiepileptic drugs are all risk factors for the occurrence of psychiatric disorders in this population.

[Marcus Gunn Syndrome. Study of 3 rare cases]. / Syndrome de Marcus Gunn. Etude de 3 cas rares.

PURPOSE: reporting three rare cases of Marcus Gunn Syndrome and analyzing the clinical features of this entity. METHODS: Case reports of three patients with a Marcus Gunn Syndrome, treated at the Ophthalmology B CHU service Rabat - Morocco. RESULTS: Our patients are two boys aged 1 and 2 years old, and a 31 year old woman with a Marcus Gunn Syndrome. As special features, in the boys' cases this syndrome is bilateral, as for the other case it is associated with congenital fibrosis clinically predominant of the Ipsilateral inferior rectus muscle in an adult. Surgical treatment was not offered for children because of their young age. The adult patient has benefited from a recession of the inferior rectus muscle and a pleating in the superior rectus muscle. The forced duction test objectified a fibrosis of the inferior rectus muscle. Surgical correction of Ptosis and Synkinesis has not been indicated in this patient, given the residual oculomotor disorder and the risk of exposure keratitis. CONCLUSION: Marcus Gunn Syndrome is exceptional in adults. This can be explained by the tendency of the lid retraction to fade with age. Bilateral involvement in Marcus Gunn Syndrome is rare. Its association with congenital fibrosis of extraocular muscles has allowed a better etiopathogenic approach highlighting a supra nuclear origin of this Syndrome.

Swollen eyelid reveals multiple intracranial hydatid cysts associated with a palpebral cyst.

We report a case of a hydatid cyst of the eyelid in a 12-year-old boy associated with cerebral involvement. The patient was initially treated by neurosurgeons for brain cysts. The course after an interval of two months was marked by regression of the palpebral cyst on albendazole.

[Pathomimia in ophthalmology: We must acknowledge it!]. / La pathomimie en ophtalmologie : il faut y croire !

Pathomimia is an unconscious falsification of physical manifestations. The eyelids and ocular surface are almost always affected because of the easy accessibility to these structures for the purpose of attracting attention from one's entourage as well as the medical community. We report four cases of lid and conjunctival pathomimia. The diagnosis was made after a long follow-up and numerous ancillary tests.

Gamma-D crystallin gene (CRYGD) mutation causes autosomal dominant congenital cerulean cataracts.

Congenital cataracts are a major cause of bilateral visual impairment in childhood. We mapped the gene responsible for autosomal congenital cerulean cataracts to chromosome 2q33-35 in a four generation family of Moroccan descent. The maximum lod score (7.19 at recombination fraction theta=0) was obtained for marker D2S2208 near the gamma-crystallin gene (CRYG) cluster. Sequencing of the coding regions of the CRYGA, B, C, and D genes showed the presence of a heterozygous C>A transversion in exon 2 of CRYGD that is associated with cataracts in this family. This mutation resulted in a proline to threonine substitution at amino acid 23 of the protein in the first of the four Greek key motifs that characterise this protein. We show that although the x ray crystallography modelling does not indicate any change of the backbone conformation, the mutation affects a region of the Greek key motif that is important for determining the topology of this protein fold. Our data suggest strongly that the proline to threonine substitution may alter the protein folding or decrease the thermodynamic stability or solubility of the protein. Furthermore, this is the first report of a mutation in this gene resulting in autosomal dominant congenital cerulean cataracts.

[Isolated hypertrophy of the superior oblique muscle in Basedow disease]. / Hypertrophie isoleé du muscle oblique supérieur d'origine basedowienne.

INTRODUCTION: Proptosis is the most common feature of Graves' ophthalmopathy. We report an exceptional case of proptosis in relation with an isolated enlargement of the superior oblique muscle in Graves' ophthalmopathy. OBSERVATION: After ocular contusion a 37 years old man presented a progressive right exophthalmos. On examination there was an unilateral proptosis with dilated conjunctival vessels, without any clinical signs of inflammation and no decreased vision. Ocular movements were full. On general examination signs of hyperthyroidism were present. CT-scan showed a superior oblique muscle enlargement with enlarged superior ophthalmic vein. Cerebral angiography excluded the diagnosis of a carotid-cavernous fistula. Dosage of thyroid hormone revealed hyperthyroidism. DISCUSSION: This case has a double interest: --Diagnostic: a CT-scan picture mimicking a carotido-cavernous fistula in this particular clinical context (history of ocular trauma, enlarged conjunctival vessels). --Isolated enlargement of superior oblique muscle in Graves' disease, which is exceptional in the literature.

[Diagnostic difficulties in pigmented tumor of the optic nerve head. A case report]. / Difficultés diagnostiques face à une tumeur papillaire pigmentée. A propos d'un cas.

Melanocytoma of the optic disc is a benign pigmented tumor located on the optic nerve head. Most cases are visually asymptomatic but in rare cases it can cause visual loss, which does not necessarily involve malignant transformation. We present a case of melanocytoma in a 49-year-old woman who presented with decreased vision in her left eye. The pigmented mass was in close continuity with the juxtapapillary adjacent choroid. Fluorescein angiography demonstrated hypofluorescence with adjacent disc edema. Ultrasonography disclosed a high internal reflectivity mass in the optic nerve head without retrobulbar extension. Magnetic resonance imaging (T1 weighted images) disclosed a hyperintense signal on the optic nerve head. The tumor was stationary for 20 months. This report emphasizes problems differentiating a melanocytoma from malignant melanoma of the optic nerve. Unusual features of melanocytoma (superior nasal location in the optic disc with an adjacent choroidal component, a decrease in visual acuity and disc edema surrounding the tumor) are discussed. Visual loss can be induced by optic neuropathy or retinal vascular obstruction. Melanocytomas grow very slowly over several years or remains stable, in contrast to malignant melanoma. In suspicious cases, close follow-up with serial fundus photographs is essential, although malignant transformation is exceptional.

[Macular serous detachment revealing acute lymphoblastic leukemia]. / Décollement séreux maculaire révélateur d'une leucémie aiguë lymphoblastique.

BACKGROUND: Leukemias are a group of malignant diseases caused by immature hematopoietic cells proliferating in the blood marrow. Some manifestations result from ocular-orbital involvement, which usually occurs through the central nervous system. Other manifestations stem from vasculopathy and/or hemorheologic disorders (anemia, thrombocytopenia, hyperviscosity). OBSERVATION: We report a case of a 42-year-old women presenting with loss of vision caused by serous macular detachment. The investigations showed the diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Steroids and chemotherapy led to complete remission with normal visual acuity during a follow-up of 29 months. DISCUSSION: Ocular involvement is seen in 28%-80% of leukemia cases. The most obvious findings are the presence of retinal hemorrhages, which are most commonly located in the posterior pole. The intraretinal hemorrhage may contain a white component that usually is a white dot in the center of the hemorrhage, but other clinical features are described. Serous detachment of the neuroepithelium is seldom reported, and can be the first symptom of the disease. Other ocular findings include infiltrative involvement of the chorioretina, anterior segment involvement, and orbital location. Ocular location is estimated to be an equivalent of central nervous system involvement, and subsequently requires adequate treatment (steroids, chemotherapy and radiotherapy of the central nervous system). CONCLUSION: Ocular manifestations of leukemia are frequent but rarely reveal the disease. Serous detachment is rarer. However, the diagnosis of leukemia should be considered in case of pigmentary epithelium involvement.

Evaluation of retinal nerve fiber layer thickness measured by optical coherence tomography in Moroccan patients with multiple sclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system characterized by focal inflammatory infiltrates, demyelinating lesions and axonal injury. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness by optical coherence tomography (OCT) in Moroccan patients with MS and to assess the relationship between RNFL thickness and disease duration, Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score, visual acuity and automated visual field indices. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-one patients with definite MS and thirty-one disease-free controls were enrolled in the study. After neurologic consultation, ophthalmologic examination including visual acuity, automated visual field testing and OCT were performed. RESULTS: Significant differences between both groups were observed in OCT parameters (total, temporal and macular ganglion cell layer) with lower thickness in the MS group. In patients without a history of optic neuritis, there were statistically significant inverse correlations between total RNFL thickness and disease duration, neurologic disability evaluated by the EDSS, logMAR visual acuity and automated visual field indices. CONCLUSIONS: OCT seems to be a reproducible test to detect axonal loss of ganglion cells in MS. Further and larger longitudinal prospective studies would be valuable to assess the evolution over time of the RNFL measurements in Moroccan MS patients.

[Solitary retinal astrocytic hamartoma simulating retinoblastoma]. / Hamartome astrocytaire isolé simulant un rétinoblastome.

Retinal astrocytic hamartoma and retinoblastoma may be very similar clinically and their differentiation in atypical cases can be difficult, even with the use of ultrasonography and computed tomography. In such cases, a close follow-up is recommended before enucleation. This paper reviews the case of a 18 month old girl who presented with a solitary retinal astrocytoma of the right eye, without any other physical or ocular disorder. The initial presentation simulated a retinoblastoma; nevertheless atypical patterns as yellow calcifications and the lack of tortuous and dilated feeding blood vessels were present. Ophthalmoscopic and ultrasound regular evaluation did not reveal any change after one year follow-up. Additional investigations performed in order to exclude tuberous sclerosis (neurological and dermatological examination, CT-scans) showed no other organ involvement, which ruled out a phakomatosis. The clinical appearance and course of astrocytic hamartomas, its differential diagnosis from other retinal tumors, especially retinoblastoma, and its association with tuberous sclerosis are discussed.

[Ocular relapse of acute lymphoblastic leukemia]. / Rechute oculaire de leucemie aigue lymphoblastique.

A bilateral leukemic hypopyon can be inaugural in the child's leukemia or reveal a relapse. A five years old child with acute lymphoblastic leukemia presented after 30 months of treatment a bilateral hypopyon. Anterior chamber paracentesis with cytological survey revealed leukemic cells and confirmed the ocular relapse. The treatment included the association of topical corticosteroids, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. This child died unfortunately 16 months later following a medullar relapse. We remind the different clinical aspects of leukemic invasion of the anterior segment and the therapeutic methods for this relapse.

[Enucleations: epidemiologic investigation in Morocco. presentation of 183 cases]. / Enucléations: enquêté épidémiologique marocaine. A propos de 183 cas.

INTRODUCTION: The authors report the results of an epidemiological study concerning 183 enucleated eyeballs. MATERIAL AND METHODS: [corrected] The study is realized over a 12-year period (1988-2000) in the department of Ophthalmology "B" (University Hospital--Rabat) on 183 enucleated eyes, only 90% having an histological examination. RESULTS: The aetiologies are: trauma (40%), malignant tumours (30%), atrophies and glaucoma (17%), panophthalmitis (9%) and corneal lesions (4%). The authors compare their results with those of the literature. CONCLUSION: The causes of enucleation are the same throughout the world. The frequency has lately decreased due to the development of early diagnosis and to the use of more conservative treatments.

[Spontaneous orbital hematoma in an adult. A case report]. / Hématome orbitaire spontané chez l'adulte. A propos d'un cas.

Spontaneous orbital hematoma is uncommon, especially in adults. It produces proptosis which progress rapidly and is often associated with ocular movement disturbance. The Authors report a case of spontaneous orbital hematoma in a 45-year-old woman, who had had no previous disease and had experienced sudden onset diplopia associated with moderate proptosis and pain in her right orbit. The diagnosis of orbital hematoma was made by computed tomographic scan. Further investigations revealed arterial hypertension. After a needle aspiration of this hematoma, proptosis resolved, ocular movement began to improve as well as visual acuity. Orbital hematoma revealing arterial hypertension is exceptional. It could be associated with ocular and orbital complications that lead the patient to consult an ophthalmologist. The diagnosis is based essentially on radiology. The other causes of orbital process, inflammation, tumor or vascular malformation, should be considered in the differential diagnosis. Therapeutic management could require surgical evacuation when visual function is compromised (compressive optic neuropathy).