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A Palmowski

Publications and source records attributed to A Palmowski.

11 recordsLinked to original sources

Melanoma-associated retinopathy: high frequency of subclinical findings in patients with melanoma.

BACKGROUND: Melanoma-associated retinopathy (MAR) is a paraneoplastic syndrome with symptoms of night blindness, light sensations, visual loss, defect in visual fields, and reduced b-waves in the electroretinogram. Patients with MAR often suffer from a sudden onset of ocular symptoms that are believed to result from antibody production against melanoma-associated antigens that cross-react with corresponding epitopes on retinal depolarizing bipolar cells. OBJECTIVES: To correlate the frequency of subclinical symptoms suggestive of MAR in melanoma patients to different stages of disease, patient age, type and thickness of the primary tumour, form of therapy, S-100 level and tumour burden. METHODS: We analysed 28 patients with melanoma in stages I-IV (according to the American Joint Committee on Cancer tumour classification) for the presence of subclinical MAR symptoms using scotopic electroretinography, static and kinetic perimetry and nyctometry. RESULTS: Seven patients had clinical signs and symptoms consistent with MAR, 18 had some indications, while the remaining three had none. We found no correlation between clinical symptoms and stage of disease, tumour burden or S-100 level, but findings suggestive of MAR were observed more frequently in advanced stages of disease. CONCLUSIONS: Subclinical retinal involvement characteristic of MAR appears to be more common than previously suspected in patients with cutaneous malignant melanoma. Our findings in this small cohort seem to indicate that the percentage of patients with symptoms suggestive of MAR is higher in advanced stages of disease. Further clinical studies are required to evaluate if the presence of subclinical symptoms suggestive of MAR is correlated with a worse prognosis and a shortened progression-free and overall survival.

Adult↗

The effect of time of day and repeat reliability on the fast flicker multifocal ERG.

PURPOSE: To investigate the possible influence of different times of the day on multifocal ERG recordings in normals. METHODS: 10 healthy volunteers underwent multifocal ERG recordings (VERIS 3.1.1.) 3 times a day, at 10:30 am, 1:30 pm and 4:30 pm using a fast flicker stimulus of 103 hexagons. Additional night-time recordings were performed in 2 subjects. The first-order and dominant part of the second order response component were analyzed. RESULTS: Neither peak latencies nor peak-to-peak amplitudes showed significant changes during the day (p >0.05). Comparison between night and day time recordings did also not reveal an influence of a circadian rhythm on the MF-ERG. CONCLUSIONS: No significant influence of the time of the day suggestive of a circadian rhythm could be observed. Light adaptation due to preadaptation and the flicker sequence used could be a possible cause for these results.

Adaptation, Ocular↗

[Disorders of eye movement in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis--report of 2 patients].

BACKGROUND: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a neurodegenerative disorder of unknown origin, was thought to spare the extraocular muscles. Extraocular involvement has recently been reported to occur in the late stages of ALS following respiratory insufficiency. CASE REPORT: We report on two patients with ALS who were referred for screening of oculomotor impairment in ALS. Orthoptic examination in a 64-year-old woman with peripheral ALS revealed retraction of the upper eye lids as well as impaired abduction and upgaze in both eyes, developing prior to respiratory insufficiency. A 50-year-old man with bulbar ALS was found to have bilateral impairment of upgaze as well as a negative Bell's phenomenon. Horizontal pursuit was interrupted by compensatory saccades, vertical fixating saccades were slightly hypometric. These oculomotor changes were also seen prior to respiratory insufficiency. CONCLUSION: These findings provide further evidence of early oculomotor involvement in ALS, e.g. prior to respiratory failure and prior than previously suspected. Oculomotor impairment may occur in both the peripheral and the bulbar type of ALS.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis↗

Eye movement in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a longitudinal study.

Eye muscles and the sphincter muscles of the bowel and bladder were formerly thought to be spared in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a neurodegenerative disorder. As frequent subclinical impairment of the anal sphincter muscles in ALS has recently been reported, We suspected an earlier and more frequent, if subclinical, involvement of the oculomotor system than hitherto described. Starting in 1993, we repeatedly studied oculomotor involvement in eight patients with (ALS) using routine orthoptic examination techniques as well as electro-oculographic recordings of ocular movements. Three patients had consistently normal clinical examinations but progressive changes in electro-oculography (EOG). Three patients showed intermittent impairment of eye movements with normal EOG (one patient) or with progressive changes on EOG examination. In two patients, both clinical examination and EOG were progressively pathologic. These findings provide further evidence of early oculomotor involvement, e.g., prior to respiratory failure, in ALS than previously suspected. Since EOG changes seemed to be detectable in all but one patient, EOG changes may allow earlier, subclinical detection of impaired eye movement and thus reveal even an increased frequency of oculomotor impairment in ALS. Due to the heterogeneity of ALS the number of patients examined to settle finally the question of oculomotor involvement in ALS needs to be increased. Newly developed software will allow further interpretation and comparison of more data and, thus, should offer further help in detecting early changes.

Adult↗

[Self-inflicted injuries of the eye: differential diagnosis of self-inflicted lacerating corneal injury].

BACKGROUND: Recognising self-inflicted injuries is the prerequisite to initiate specific, psychiatric, therapy of the often underlying psychiatric disorders. The differential diagnosis of Oedipism, self-inflicted ocular injury, includes Munchausen's-syndrome, neuroses and schizophrenic psychoses. PATIENT: We present a patient in whom a self-inflicted corneal lancinating injury was the first sign of an acute relapse of his previously known paranoid-hallucinating schizophrenia, requiring immediate treatment. CONCLUSION: In patients with unexplained ocular disease self-inflicted ocular injury needs to be taken into consideration as the treatment of such patients requires close cooperation of Ophthalmologists and Psychiatrists.

Adult↗

Paranoid hallucinations following ocular surgery.

Paranoid hallucinations were seen in 2 patients following ocular surgery. Following his second cataract surgery, a 77-year-old male patient became disorientated, suffered paranoid hallucinations and fractured his first lumbar vertebra 'falling' from the balcony of the first floor. A 79-year-old female suffered from paranoia and visual hallucinations following goniotrephination surgery.

Aged↗

Preliminary results following implantation of iris-suture-fixated posterior-chamber lenses.

Iris-suture-fixated posterior-chamber lenses with a 7-mm optic zone and modified C-loops with 2 holes were implanted in 30 patients (8 men and 22 women), of whom 13 received simultaneous corneal transplantations. The mean follow-up period was 13.3 months. The iris was penetrated from behind and the intraocular lens was sutured with two double-armed 9-0 prolene sutures, the knot being positioned on the anterior surface of the iris. Most patients showed an increase in visual acuity except for two who had pre-existing retinopathy and one who developed a seclusio pupillae. The complications seen were: mild distortion of the pupil (7), iris capture (1), posterior synechiae (1) and ablatio chorioideae (1). This new technique yields good results in cases of intraoperative rupture of the capsule. In patients undergoing simultaneous corneal transplantation, a longer follow-up period is needed.

Adult↗

Central subretinal hemorrhage from a retinal arterial macroaneurysm--two-step treatment with laser and vitreoretinal surgery.

Central subretinal hemorrhage can be a complication of arterial retinal macroaneurysm. Subretinal bleeding may lead to mechanical and toxic damage of photoreceptors, causing persisting central scotomas. Prophylactically, we perform a two-step therapy using an argon laser and vitreoretinal surgery to achieve coagulation of the bleeding source and drainage of subretinal blood.

Adult↗