Aberrant regeneration in an international registry of patients with 3rd-nerve palsy.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To describe the patterns of pre-operative aberrant regeneration and motility outcomes reported in an international registry of patients with 3rd-nerve palsy treated with nasal transposition of the split lateral rectus muscle (NTSLR). METHODS: This cross-sectional study used data from an international, multicentre registry of patients with 3rd-nerve palsy treated with NTSLR. Patients with aberrant regeneration were identified, and patterns of innervation described. Demographics and postoperative success defined as horizontal alignment ≤15 PD were compared based on the presence, and type, of aberrant regeneration using Wilcoxon rank sum and Fisher's exact tests. RESULTS: Aberrant regeneration was reported in 16% (21/129) of patients. Age at diagnosis, sex, and aetiology of palsy were not significantly associated with aberrant regeneration. Abnormal movements were triggered by adduction in 52% (11/21), infraduction in 23% (5/21), and supraduction in 23% (5/21) of cases. Presentation patterns involved rectus muscle innervation in 29% (6/21) and levator muscle innervation in 71% (15/21) of cases. Although patients with aberrant regeneration had similar probability of success in comparison to those without following NTLSR (76% vs. 69%, p = 0.5), those with abnormal innervation of a rectus muscle had a lower success rate than those with abnormal innervation of the levator palpebrae superioris muscle (17% vs. 93%; p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: Successful treatment of a 3rd nerve palsy with NTSLR was not influenced by aberrant regeneration involving the levator muscle. Alternative surgical interventions should be considered when aberrant regeneration alters rectus muscle function given its adverse impact on motor outcomes with NTSLR.

Vision and Concussion: Symptoms, Signs, Evaluation, and Treatment.

Visual symptoms are common after concussion in children and adolescents, making it essential for clinicians to understand how to screen, identify, and initiate clinical management of visual symptoms in pediatric patients after this common childhood injury. Although most children and adolescents with visual symptoms after concussion will recover on their own by 4 weeks, for a subset who do not have spontaneous recovery, referral to a specialist with experience in comprehensive concussion management (eg, sports medicine, neurology, neuropsychology, physiatry, ophthalmology, otorhinolaryngology) for additional assessment and treatment may be necessary. A vision-specific history and a thorough visual system examination are warranted, including an assessment of visual acuity, ocular alignment in all positions of gaze, smooth pursuit (visual tracking of a moving object), saccades (visual fixation shifting between stationary targets), vestibulo-ocular reflex (maintaining image focus during movement), near point of convergence (focusing with both eyes at near and accommodation (focusing with one eye at near because any of these functions may be disturbed after concussion. These deficits may contribute to difficulty with returning to both play and the learning setting at school, making the identification of these problems early after injury important for the clinician to provide relevant learning accommodations, such as larger font, preprinted notes, and temporary use of audio books. Early identification and appropriate management of visual symptoms, such as convergence insufficiency or accommodative insufficiency, may mitigate the negative effects of concussion on children and adolescents and their quality of life.

Evaluation of the Visual System by the Primary Care Provider Following Concussion.

Concussion is a common injury in childhood and has the potential for substantial impact on quality of life. Visual issues have been increasingly recognized as a common problem after concussion. Many children initially seek care for concussion with their pediatrician, making it even more important for pediatricians to recognize, evaluate, and refer children with visual issues after concussion. This clinical report is intended to support the recommendations in the companion policy statement on vision and concussion and provides definitions of some of the physiologic aspects of the visual system as they relate to concussion. A description of clinically feasible testing methodologies is provided in more detail to aid the clinician in assessing the visual system in a focused fashion after concussion. This guidance helps direct clinical management, including support for return to school, sports, and other activities, as well as potential referral for subspecialty care for the subset of those with persistent symptoms.

Oculomotor nerve schwannoma: case series and literature review.

Oculomotor nerve schwannomas are rare benign cranial nerve tumors. There are only a limited number of reports on this pathology in the literature, and there are currently no established management guidelines that aid providers in deciding on surgical versus nonsurgical management. We assess the published literature on the topic to identify indications for treatment as well as outcome measures (e.g., local control rates, survival rates, and complication rates) that have been reported as associated with the various treatment modalities. We attempt to develop an algorithm for evaluation and treatment of oculomotor nerve schwannomas in order to establish consensus on how these tumors should be treated.

Neuroanatomy and Imaging Assessment in Traumatic Brain Injury.

Concussion is a common injury in childhood with an estimated 1.4 million children sustaining concussions annually in the United States. While many concussions occur in the sports and recreation setting, it is important to recognize that non-sports and recreation activities are also common causes of concussion in childhood. Since neurologic projections associated with the afferent and efferent visual system are widely distributed throughout the brain and thought to comprise over 50% of brain function, it is not surprising that the diffuse sear injury associated with concussion often produces visual dysfunction. This review will concentrate on the efferent visual motor pathways that may be affected in concussion.

Schwannoma of the trochlear nerve-an illustrated case series and a systematic review of management.

Schwannomas of cranial nerves in the absence of systemic neurofibromatosis are relatively rare. Among these, schwannomas of the trochlear nerve are even less common. They can be found incidentally or when they cause diplopia or other significant neurological deficits. Treatment options include observation only, neuro-ophthalmological intervention, and/or neurosurgical management via resection or sterotactic radiosurgery (SRS). In recent years, the latter has become an attractive therapeutic tool for a number of benign skull base neoplasm including a small number of reports on its successful use for trochlear Schwannomas. However, no treatment algorithm for the management of these tumors has been proposed so far. The goal of this manuscript is to illustrate a case series of this rare entity and to suggest a rational treatment algorithm for trochlear schwannomas, based on our institutional experience of recent cases, and a pertinent review of the literature. Including our series of 5 cases, a total of 85 cases reporting on the management of trochlear schwannomas have been published. Of those reported, less than half (40 %) of patients underwent surgical resection, whereas the remainder were managed conservatively or with SRS. Seventy-six percent (65/85) of the entire cohort presented with diplopia, which was the solitary symptom in over half of the cases (n = 39). All patients who presented with symptoms other than diplopia or headaches as solitary symptoms underwent surgical resection. Patients in the non-surgical group were mostly male (M/F = 3.5:1), presented at an older age and had shorter mean diameter (4.6 vs. 30.4 mm, p < 0.0001) when compared to the surgical group. Twelve patients in the entire cohort were treated with SRS, none of whom had undergone surgical resection before or after radiation treatment. Trochlear schwannoma patients without systemic neurofibromatosis are rare and infrequently reported in the literature. Of those, patients harboring symptomatic trochlear Schwannomas do not form a single homogenous group, but fall into two rather distinct subgroups regarding demographics and clinical characteristics. Among those patients in need of intervention, open microsurgical resection as well as less invasive treatment options exist, which all aim at safe relief of symptoms and prevention of progression. Both open microsurgical removal as well as SRS can achieve good long-term local control. Consequently, a tailored multidisciplinary treatment algorithm, based on the individual presentation and tumor configuration, is proposed.

Optic disc dysplasia in poland syndrome.

PURPOSE: To report optic disc dysplasia in a case of Poland syndrome. DESIGN: Non-interventional case report. METHODS: A 2-year-old boy with Poland syndrome was referred for ophthalmic evaluation after abnormal optic discs were found on exam. RESULTS: Physical exam at birth revealed right-sided aplasia of the pectoralis major muscle, symbrachydactyly, hypoplastic scapula, and an abnormal third rib. On dilated examination the optic nerve heads were dysplastic. The findings included multiple cilioretinal vessels, situs inversus, inferotemporal excavation, and surrounding pigmentary disturbances. CONCLUSION: Only one case of optic disc anomaly has been reported in Poland syndrome and was described as morning glory syndrome. The optic discs in our patient do not fit well with other optic disc excavation syndromes but are most reminiscent of those in papillorenal syndrome. As both Poland syndrome and papillorenal syndrome share vascular dysfunction as a possible etiology, this case adds to the literature of vascular dysgenesis in Poland syndrome.

Acute macular neuroretinopathy associated with the use of norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors: a case series and OCT findings.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to report a case series of patients with acute macular neuroretinopathy in which patients concomitantly used oral norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors. METHODS: Retrospective case review. PATIENTS: Three patients with retinal findings consistent with acute macular neuroretinopathy are presented. CONCLUSION: The use of oral neuromodulators should be considered in cases of acute macular neuroretinopathy.