[Viral infections of the anterior segment (author's transl)]

A focus on the pathogenesis, clinical manifestations and therapy. Contemporary ideas on viral infections of the anterior segment are examined.--The pathogenesis of lesions (viral activity, delayed hypersensitivity reaction), the clinical aspects of herpes infections of the anterior segment are the result of the relative importance of these two factors. Schematically--dendritic keratitis infiltrates and stromal necrosis and hypopion represent active viral infection. Disciform keratitis, oedematous keratitis, serous iridocyclitis represent delayed hypersensitivity reaction. Corticosteroids are contrindicated in the former cases and recommended in the latter.--Special features concerning zoster inflammations of the anterior segment are considered.--An important number of adenoviral anterior segment infections are also reported and their benign nature stressed.

[Ultrastructural study of the oculomotor muscle in 2 familial cases of Steinert's disease]

A biopsy specimen of an extra-ocular muscle from a brother and sister affected by typical familial Steinert's disease was examined by electron microscopy. Considerable disorganisation of the contractile element was observed with a gross accumulation of abnormal mitochondria. This was a very different appearance to the findings observed in skeletal muscle in Steinert's disease and much closer to the findings in skeletal muscle in certain 'ocular' myopathies. One cannot fail to be impressed by the discordance between the appearance of the muscular disorganisation and the rarity of clinical oculomotor disturbances in this disease.