Long-term follow-up of surgical treatment of thyroid-associated orbitopathy restrictive strabismus.

Objective: Thyroid-associated orbitopathy (TAO) is the most frequent cause of extraocular muscle enlargement, with consecutive restrictive strabismus. The main muscles involved are inferior and medial rectus, resulting in horizontal esotropia and/or vertical strabismus. Surgery may either establish or improve binocular single vision. The aim of the present study is to describe long-term follow-up of patients who underwent horizontal or vertical TAO strabismus surgery. Methods: This observational retrospective study included 29 patients suffering from either vertical or horizontal TAO strabismus and diplopia, of whom 11 underwent bilateral medial recti muscle recession (Group A) and 18 underwent unilateral inferior rectus muscle recession (Group B). The endpoint of the study was the assessment of changes in deviation angle and diplopia across four time points (baseline, 7 days, 6 months, and 24 months) in each group. Results: In Group A, the horizontal deviation angle significantly decreased 7 days after intervention (p < 0.001), without modifications overtime. In Group B, both deviation angles in primary and down-gaze position significantly decreased from baseline, both 7 days after surgery (p < 0.001) and at 6 months (p = 0.040). An overcorrection, with an inversion of vertical deviation angle, was observed across the different time points. Conclusions: Horizontal TAO strabismus correction leads to significant improvements of deviation angle and diplopia, with a stable undercorrection overtime. Inferior rectus recession leads to more unstable results, with a trend towards overcorrection limited to the first 6 months after surgery.

Desarrollo de miastenia gravis tras administración de toxina botulínica en el síndrome de dolor miofascial / Development of myasthenia gravis after botulinum toxin management in myofascial pain syndrome

El síndrome de dolor miofascial (SDM) es una patología muscular dolorosa que se define como dolor local o referido asociado a la presencia de nódulos palpables hipersensibles en el trayecto de ese músculo y constituye una patología frecuente en las consultas de dolor crónico.La toxina botulínica es una exotoxina producida por el Clostridium botulinum, cuyos serotipos A, B y F tienen utilidad clínica (fundamentalmente tipo A- Botox®, Dysport®). Se trata de una de las neurotoxinas más potentes que existen. Se utiliza como uso compasivo en el tratamiento del síndrome de dolor miofascial. El efecto beneficioso analgésico del uso de la toxina se origina de reducir la hiperactividad muscular pero estudios recientes sugieren que esta neurotoxina puede tener efectos analgésicos directos diferentes de sus acciones neuromusculares. Su uso no está exento de riesgos. Los efectos adversos se relacionan con la migración de la toxina y son en general leves o moderados y pasajeros. Se han descrito casos de debilidad muscular prolongada e incluso cuadros de miastenia gravis, síndrome de Eaton Lambert desencadenados por el uso de la toxina.Presentamos el caso clínico de un varón afecto de síndrome de dolor miofascial del cuadrado lumbar y psoas tratado con infiltraciones con toxina botulínica. Tras la mejoría del cuadro clínico muscular se desarrolla diplopía y ptosis palpebral reiterante, siendo diagnosticado de miastenia gravis. Revisamos la etiopatogenia del síndrome de dolor miofascial y de la miastenia gravis, así como el uso de la toxina botulínica y sus relaciones entre ellos Concluimos que es necesaria una anamnesis detallada previa a la utilización de toxina botulínica sobre patología muscular o signos de debilidad muscula (AU)

Myofascial pain syndrome is a painful muscle condition which is defined as local or referred pain associated with hypersensitive palpable nodules in the way of that muscle and is a frequent pathology in consultations on chronic pain.Botulinum toxin is an exotoxin produced by Clostridium botulinum, of which serogroups A, B and F have clinical utility (mainly type A- Botox®, Dysport®). This is one of the most potent neurotoxins and is administered compassionatelly in the treatment of myofascial pain syndrome. The toxin has a beneficial analgesic effect by reducing muscle hyperactivity but recent studies suggest that this neurotoxin may also induce analgesia by non-neuromuscular actions. Its use is not without risks. Adverse effects are related to the migration of the toxin and are usually mild or moderate and transient. There have been reports of prolonged muscle weakness and diseases like myasthenia gravis or Lambert Eaton syndrome triggered by the use of the toxin.We report a case of a male patient with myofascial pain syndrome whose psoas and quadratus muscles were treated with injections of botulinum toxin. Following the improvement in clinical muscle situation, repetitive diplopia and ptosis developed and the patient was diagnosed of myasthenia gravis.We review the pathogenesis of myofascial pain syndrome and myasthenia gravis and the use of botulinum toxin and relationships between them.We conclude that a detailed history is required prior to the use of botulinum toxin on patients with muscle pathology or signs of muscle weakness (AU)

Neuropatía óptica en un caso de paquimeningitis hipertrófica idiopática recurrente sin respuesta a esteroides e inmunosupresores / Optic neuropathy in a case of recurrent idiopathic hypertrophic pachymeningitis unresponsive to steroids and immunosuppressants

CASO CLÍNICO: Mujer de 38 años con pérdida visual en ojo izquierdo y papiledema bilateral. La resonancia magnética nuclear (RMN) mostraba engrosamiento de la duramadre y la presión intracraneal estaba elevada. Se descartó enfermedad infecciosa, tumoral y autoinmune. DISCUSIÓN: La respuesta inicial a corticoides fue satisfactoria con desaparición del edema de disco óptico, mejoría de la agudeza visual y mejoría radiológica. Después de un año sin tratamiento presentó un nuevo brote, desarrollando una neuropatía óptica izquierda con pérdida irreversible de visión a pesar del retratamiento con corticoides y azatioprina

CASE REPORT: A 38-year-old female patient with bilateral papilledema who presented with loss of vision in her left eye. The Magnetic Resonance Imagining (MRI) showed thickening of the dura mater, and the intracranial pressure was elevated. A cancer, infectious, and autoimmune origin was ruled out. DISCUSSION: The initial response to high doses of corticoids was satisfactory, with disappearance of the optic disc enema, with visual acuity and an improvement in the MRI. However, after one year without treatment she had a new outbreak of the disease. Despite renewed treatment with corticoids and azathioprine, the patient developed a left optic neuropathy and irreversible visual loss

Astasia, asymmetrical asterixis and pretectal syndrome in thalamo-mesencephalic hemorrhage.

We report a patient who presented with sudden onset instability and diplopia. On neurological examination he had asymmetrical asterixis, predominantly in the left hand, and ocular findings consistent with a pretectal syndrome. He was also unable to stand or even sit up unassisted, with a tendency to tilt his body and rotate his trunk axis to the left. Brain MRI showed a hemorrhage in the right thalamo-mesencephalic junction. This region involves important structures for the control of postural stability, motor control, ocular movements and vestibulo-ocular integration, not yet well understood. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case with the simultaneous combination of astasia, prectectal syndrome and asymmetrical asterixis.

[Diplopia complicating peribulbar anesthesia for cataract surgery and early use of MRI]. / Diplopie après anesthésie péribulbaire pour chirurgie de la cataracte: évaluation d'une nouvelle stratégie diagnostique incluant l'IRM précoce.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the early use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the diagnosis of diplopia following cataract surgery under peribulbar anaesthesia. STUDY DESIGN: Single centre prospective study. PATIENTS AND METHOD: From January 2003 to January 2005 every patient undergoing cataract surgery under peribulbar anaesthesia was included. Any patient spontaneously complaining of double vision on day 1 received a full ophthalmologic examination. When binocular diplopia was confirmed by a positive Hess-Lancaster test, the patient immediately underwent an MRI. RESULTS: During the two year period, 4805 patients underwent cataract surgery under peribulbar anaesthesia. Eight patients reported double vision on day 1 (0.16% prevalence). Clinical examination confirmed binocular diplopia and a positive Hess-Lancaster test identified the paralysed muscle. In 7 out of 8 patients, the MRI performed on the same day showed a T2 hyper intensity signal within the paralysed muscle, it was interpreted as inflammatory oedema following an accidental intra muscular injection of a myotoxic local anaesthetic. In one patient the MRI was normal, suggesting a preoperative undiagnosed diplopia having no relation to the peribulbar anaesthesia. CONCLUSION: A slit-lamp exam and a Hess-Lancaster test are necessary to confirm postoperative strabismic diplopia after cataract surgery. An early MRI can accurately distinguish postanaesthetic myotoxic diplopia from a preoperative diplopia revealed by the corrective cataract surgery.

Brown's syndrome with cyclic characteristic: case report and review of physiopathologic mechanism.

This article reports on an acquired Brown's syndrome case presenting with cyclic characteristics. Restriction of elevation in adduction was observed in the right eye of a 15-year-old boy who had been referred with a complaint of diplopia that occurred on waking in the morning and continuing until noon. The same situation was noted following afternoon naps. The patient was able to improve his complaint by performing a forced elevation in adduction while massaging his right trochlear region and the restriction did not recur until the next morning.

Brainstem auditory evoked responses in 200 patients with multiple sclerosis.

Brainstem auditory evoked responses (BAERs) were recorded from 202 patients with definite, probable, or possible multiple sclerosis (MS). Definitions of abnormality were based only on interwave separations and the wave I/wave V amplitude ratio. Thirty-two percent of the patients had abnormal BAERs, and the presence of clinically unsuspected lesions was revealed by BAER abnormalities in 7.4%. Thirty-five percent of the patients who had nystagmus and 53% of those who had internuclear ophthalmoplegia at the time of testing had BAER abnormalities. Forty-five percent of the abnormalities were elicited with stimulation of one ear only, stressing the importance of monaural stimulation. Click rates faster than 10 per second did not reveal abnormalities undetected at slower rates. BAERs were normal by these criteria in patients with labyrinthine diseases and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Thus, the BAER in MS can (1) confirm the presence of central lesions in patients with suspected brainstem involvement, (2) document the presence of clinically unsuspected lesions, and (3) be followed over time to provide possible assistance in evaluating the effectiveness of therapeutic measures. The BAER is a useful tool in the diagnosis and management of MS.