Neuroophthalmological outcomes associated with use of the Pipeline Embolization Device: analysis of the PUFS trial results.

OBJECT: Neuroophthalmological morbidity is commonly associated with large and giant cavernous and supraclinoid internal carotid artery (ICA) aneurysms. The authors sought to evaluate the neuroophthalmological outcomes after treatment of these aneurysms with the Pipeline Embolization Device (PED). METHODS: The Pipeline for Uncoilable or Failed Aneurysms (PUFS) trial was an international, multicenter prospective trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of the PED. All patients underwent complete neuroophthalmological examinations both before the PED procedure and at a 6-month follow-up. All examinations were performed for the purpose of this study and according to study criteria. RESULTS: In total, 108 patients were treated in the PUFS trial, 98 of whom had complete neuroophthalmological follow-up. Of the patients with complete follow-up, 39 (40%) presented with a neuroophthalmological baseline deficit that was presumed to be attributable to the aneurysm, and patients with these baseline deficits had significantly larger aneurysms. In 25 of these patients (64%), the baseline deficit showed at least some improvement 6 months after PED treatment, whereas in 1 patient (2.6%), the deficits only worsened. In 5 patients (5%), new deficits had developed at the 6-month follow-up, while in another 6 patients (6%), deficits that were not originally assumed to be related to the aneurysm had improved by that time. A history of diabetes was associated with failure of the baseline deficits to improve after the treatment. The aneurysm maximum diameter was significantly larger in patients with a new deficit or a worse baseline deficit at 6 months postprocedure. CONCLUSIONS: Patients treated with the PED for large and giant ICA aneurysms had excellent neuroophthalmological outcomes 6 months after the procedure, with deficits improving in most of the patients, very few deficits worsening, and few new deficits developing.

Diplopia due to skew deviation following neurotologic procedures.

OBJECTIVE: To describe and characterize diplopia resulting from skew deviation after cerebellopontine angle (CPA) surgery and labyrinthectomy. PATIENTS AND INTERVENTIONS: Retrospective case series of 4 patients who developed vertical diplopia from skew deviation after resection of tumors in the CPA or labyrinthectomy MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Complete neuro-opthalmologic examination including opticokinetic testing, confrontational visual field assessment, color plate, pupillary reflex, slit lamp examination, and head tilt test. RESULTS: Four patients with residual hearing preoperatively developed skew deviation immediately after surgical intervention, including translabyrinthine (n = 1) and retrosigmoid (n = 2) approaches to the CPA and labyrinthectomy (n = 1). Neuro-ophthalmologic examination demonstrated intact extraocular movements, and 2- to 14-mm prism diopter hypertropia on both primary gaze and head tilt testing. In all cases, skew deviation resolved spontaneously with normalization of the neuro-ophthalmologic examination within 10 weeks. CONCLUSION: Patients undergoing CPA surgery or labyrinthectomy can develop postoperative diplopia due to skew deviation as a consequence of acute vestibular deafferentation. Patients with significant hearing preoperatively, a probable marker for residual vestibular function, may be especially at risk for developing skew deviation postoperatively.

Skew deviation after intratympanic gentamicin therapy.

Intratympanic gentamicin therapy for the treatment of episodic vertigo associated with Ménière's disease is generally well tolerated. Although auditory and vestibular symptoms following intratympanic gentamicin are well known, visual disturbance has not been previously described. In this report, we describe two patients with Ménière's disease who developed sudden onset of binocular vertical diplopia due to skew deviation after intratympanic gentamicin therapy. The skew deviation and diplopia resolved spontaneously and completely within 6 to 8 weeks without therapy. Development of diplopia due to skew deviation should be discussed as a potential complication in patients undergoing intratympanic gentamicin therapy.

Ocular motor nerve palsies: implications for diagnosis and mechanisms of repair.

Measurements of the dynamics of the eyes in ocular motor nerve palsies may aid diagnosis, characterize peripheral and central palsies, and reveal adaptive properties of the brain. Saccadic and vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) functions of patients with peripheral and central sixth, and peripheral third and fourth nerve palsies were studied by three dimensional magnetic field search coil oculography. Combined third and fourth cranial nerve microvascular ischaemic palsy in diabetes mellitus produced low ratios of intorsion to adduction amplitudes. Presumed isolated third nerve palsy caused higher ratios of adduction to intorsion and violations of Listing's law. The VOR in third, fourth, and sixth nerve palsies reveals adaptive equilibration of the action of paretic agonist and their non-paretic antagonist muscles in violation of Hering's law during head motion. Saccadic speeds in the field of paretic agonists are repaired in chronic peripheral palsies despite limited ductions, but remain reduced in central palsies. Limited intorsion with third nerve palsy is attributed to concurrent fourth nerve ischaemia in the distribution of the inferolateral trunk of the intracavernous carotid artery. Adaptive repair of the VOR after ocular motor nerve palsies reduces asymmetric retinal image slip and binocular disparity, and repair of saccadic velocity drives both eyes rapidly and simultaneously into the paretic field of motion.