The Effects of Alcohol on Eye Movement

This is a study to determine if there is a significant relationship between eye movement and alcohol intake at and below the legal limit of 0.05% blood alcohol concentration [BAC], and to identify the minimal BAC that causes significant change in eye movement. Twenty healthy males were orally given 0.57g/kg alcohol. After the alcohol intake, the BAC was measured at 10 minute intervals along with measurements of saccadic velocity, latency, and gain of pursuit movement of the eye. Linear regression analysis between BAC < or =0.05%and saccadic velocity and latency resulted in correlation coefficients of 0.258 and 0.306 respectively[p<0.005], while gain of pursuit movement had no relation to BAC.The latency at 0.05~0.06%BAC interval increased compared with the values before alcohol intake, with statistical significance [p<0.05 ]. Although there existed variations among subjects, a significant functional change of eye movement developed at 0.05%BAC, the legal limit of alcohol.Eye movement is thought to be a valuable indicator of CNS depression by alcohol and prolonged latency of saccadic eye movement by alcohol may be the explanation for increased risk of traffic accidents after alcohol intake.

Dissociated Horizontal Deviation in the Refractive Accommodative Esotropia with Amblyopia

Dissociated horizontal deviation(DHD) is a rare type of dissociative strabismus. It dose not obey the Hering`s law of equal innervation and is expressed in associated with dissociated vertical deviation or asymmetrical nystagmus blockage syndrome. We observed 6 cases of DHD among the patients with refractive accommodative esotropia associated with amblyopia. The mean age of the patients was 3.6 years and the average refractive error was +5.35D in the dominant eyes and +6.29D in the amblyopic eyes. The average visual acuity was 0.38 with the dominant eyes and 0.17 with the amblyopic eyes. The average angle of deviation was 40.0delta with fixation in the dominant eyes and 24.3delta in the amblyopic eyes. The authors speculate that this difference of angle deviation was caused by the weaker accommodative convergence at the time of fixation by the amblyopic eye that appeared to have decreased accommodative amplitudes.

A Case of acute Exophthalmos due to Spreading of Chronic Frontal Sinusitis

It is not common that formation of retrobulbar abscess by inflammatory spreading of chronic frontal sinusitis and even rare that the abscess cause acute exophthalmos and ocular pain. But, if the acute exophthalmos with ocular pain arise from the patient associated with chronic rhinitis or paranasal sinusitis, it should be suspected that peri bulbar abscess was formed by spreading of these disease and otorhinologic examination should be taken. The authors experienced a case of acute exophthalmos with ocular pain in a 27-years old woman and founded that abscess arising from the chronic frontal sinusitis disrupted the superomedial wall of orbit and spread to the retrobulbar area by computed tomography and other radiologic evaluation. We had good result by performing incision and drainage and some otorhinologic therapy.

Clinical Result of Radial Keratotomy for the Undercorrected Myopia after Keratomileusis-in-situ

The authors report clinical results of 6 myopic patients(6 eyes) who showed undercorrection following keratomileusis-in-situ and then underwent radial keratotomy to correct the residual myopia. The mean age of patients was 39.2 years, and the mean interval between keratomileusis and radial keratotomy was 19.8 months. The mean refractive error was changed from -7.0D preoperatively to -3.23D after radial keratotomy. 'The average difference of refractive error between treated eye and untreated fellow eye was changed from 5.12D to 1. 63D after radial keratotomy. The mean visual acuity was changed from 0.15 preoperatively to 0.33 after radial keratotomy. In conclusion, radial keratotomy is an useful procedure for correcting undercorrected myopia after keratomileusis in situ.

A case of endogenous bacterial endophthalmitis developed in alcoholics patient

Endpgenous bacterial endophthalmitis develops mainly in a extremely ill patient or a immunologically compromised patient. As reported earlier, early suspicion and careful diagnostic evaluation and early aggressive treatment are important to treat endophthalmitis and prevent poor visual acuity. The authors experienced a case of endogenous endophthalmitis developed from pneumonia in chronic alcoholics patient. The pathogen was proved to be a Staphylococcus aureus by the culture of specimen obtained from the aqueous. Systemic, topical, subconjunctival and intravitreal antibiotic therapy were done, but the patient's eye progressed to phthisis state.