Is Optic Nerve Fibre Mis-Routing a Feature of Congenital Stationary Night Blindness?

PURPOSE

To determine whether patients with congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB) have electrophysiological evidence of optic nerve fibre mis-routing similar to that found in patients with ocular albinism (OA).

METHOD

We recorded the Pattern Onset VEP using a protocol optimised to detect mis-routing of optic nerve fibres in older children and adults. We tested 20 patients (age 15-69 yrs) with X-linked or autosomal recessive CSNB, 14 patients (age 9-56 yrs) with OA and 13 normally pigmented volunteers (age 21-66 yrs). We measured the amplitude and latency of the CI component at the occipital midline and over left and right occipital hemispheres. We also assessed the computed inter-hemispheric "difference" signal. Subjects with CSNB were classified as having the "complete" or "incomplete" phenotype on the basis of their ERG characteristics. Members of X-linked CSNB pedigrees underwent mutation screening of the NYX and CACNA1F genes.

RESULTS

CI was significantly smaller over the ipsilateral hemisphere and more prominent over the contralateral hemisphere in OA patients compared with both controls and CSNB patients. In CSNB patients CI response amplitudes were not significantly different from controls but peak latency was prolonged at all three electrodes compared with controls. The inter-hemispheric "difference" signal was abnormal for the OA group but not for the CSNB group. Contralateral dominance of CI could be identified in the majority of OA patients and the "difference" signal was opposite in polarity for left compared with right eye stimulation in every patient in this group. Only 3 of 20 patients with CSNB showed significant inter-hemispheric asymmetry similar to that seen in the OA patients. All 3 CSNB patients with evidence for optic nerve fibre mis-routing had X-linked pedigrees: 2 had an identified mutation in the NYX gene but no mutation in either the NYX or CACNA1F genes was identified in the third. VEP evidence of optic nerve fibre mis-routing was present in 3 of the 11 subjects with "complete" phenotype and none of the 9 patients with "incomplete" phenotype CSNB.

CONCLUSION

Mis-routing of optic nerve fibres does occur in CSNB but we found evidence of it in only 15% of our patients.

Clinical features and surgical management of retinal detachment secondary to round retinal holes

AIMS

The majority of rhegmatogenous retinal detachments result from pathological posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) and secondary horseshoe or giant retinal tears. Retinal detachment without PVD is usually associated with either retinal dialysis or round retinal holes. This study characterises the features, surgical outcome, and incidence of bilateral involvement of detachment associated with round retinal holes.

METHODS

In all, 110 retinal detachments from 96 consecutive patients with retinal detachment secondary to round retinal holes were studied. Analysis of patient age, sex, refraction, preoperative visual acuity, presented symptoms, position and extent of detachment, number and distribution of holes present, posterior hyaloid membrane status, surgical management, outcome of surgery, and postoperative visual acuity were studied.

RESULTS

The mean age for patients was 34 years with a marked female preponderance (64%) and myopia (83%). The posterior hyaloid membrane remained attached in 95 eyes (86%). In all, 45% patients had bilateral pathology, of which 33% had 'mirror image' distribution. Detachments were predominantly shallow (93%) and slow in progression (17%). A total of 100 detachments were repaired with cryotherapy and scleral buckling, eight with cryotherapy alone, and one with laser retinopexy. In all, 99% detachments were successfully reattached with a single procedure. The mean follow-up period was 2 years. There were no instances of redetachment.

CONCLUSIONS

Round hole detachments are slowly evolving detachments with attached vitreous gel in young, predominantly female myopes. Examination of the fellow eye should be mandatory as there is a high incidence of bilateral pathology. Scleral buckling procedures remained highly effective in this selected group of patients.

A Mild Anionic Method for Generating o-Quinone Methides: Facile Preparations of Ortho-Functionalized Phenols

A low-temperature method for generating o-quinone methides is described which permits facile introduction of assorted R substituents onto the aryl ring system at low temperature. The method is useful for the efficient preparation of ortho-ring-alkylated phenols.