Seminars in neurology
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Ocular myasthenia gravis is a not uncommon autoimmune disorder causing diplopia, ptosis, and weakness of lid closure. The predilection of myasthenia for the ocular muscles may be related to differences between limb and extraocular muscles in either physiological function or antigenicity. Clinically, ocular myasthenia can mimic any form of pupil-sparing ocular motility disorder. ⋯ Treatment consists of symptomatic use of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors and immunosuppression with steroids or azathioprine. Between 50 and 70% of patients with ocular myasthenia will eventually develop generalized disease: there is some retrospective data that steroids or azathioprine may reduce this by about 75%. The role of thymectomy in ocular myasthenia remains unclear.
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Seminars in neurology · Jan 2000
ReviewIdiopathic intracranial hypertension: mechanisms of visual loss and disease management.
Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is a disorder of increased intracranial pressure of unknown cause. It is a disorder, predominantly of overweight women in the childbearing years. The major morbidity of the disease is visual loss. ⋯ Patients failing medical therapy have optic nerve sheath fenestration performed if visual loss is the main morbidity. Shunting procedures are considered if headache is the main symptom. Most patients respond well to therapy, but idiopathic intracranial hypertension may recur throughout life.
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The diagnosis of an acquired vertical strabismus is not always straightforward. There is no one specific test that will diagnose a vertical deviation. The clinical presentation, signs, and symptoms are the driving forces that will help lead to the correct diagnosis. ⋯ The differential diagnosis for vertical diplopia includes oculomotor nerve palsy, superior oblique palsy, restrictive ophthalmopathies, myasthenia gravis, and skew deviation. This differential diagnosis is best used to sort out signs and symptoms in a patient with a vertical misalignment and diplopia. Because most clinicians feel more comfortable addressing the patient with complaints of horizontal diplopia, this paper will discuss the causes of vertical diplopia so that recognition will be easier, thus leading to more accurate diagnoses.
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Seminars in neurology · Jan 1999
Historical ArticleEarly observations on muscular dystrophy: Gowers' textbook revisited.
Early clinical observations on Duchenne muscular dystrophy can be traced through the works of Meryon, Little, Duchenne, Gowers, and Erb. Gowers sites Sir Charles Bell with its earliest clinical description. Gowers' phenomenal textbook provides vivid descriptions of Duchenne dystrophy, clinical features which are herein revisited.
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The clinical neurologist frequently encounters patients with a variety of focal sensory symptoms and signs. This article reviews the clinical features, etiologies, laboratory findings, and management of the common sensory mononeuropathies including meralgia paresthetica, cheiralgia paresthetica, notalgia paresthetica, gonyalgia paresthetica, digitalgia paresthetica, intercostal neuropathy, and mental neuropathy.