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Biomedical subjects

Amy K Hutchinson

Publications and source records attributed to Amy K Hutchinson.

12 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Intracranial vascular anomalies in patients with morning glory disk anomaly.

PURPOSE: An association between morning glory disk anomaly (MGDA) and intracranial vascular anomalies including Moyamoya disease has been recognized. We evaluated a series of patients with MGDA to ascertain the frequency of cerebrovascular anomalies. DESIGN: Retrospective observational case series. METHODS: We reviewed the neurologic histories and neuroimaging studies of twenty patients with MGDA at two institutions between 1982 and 2004. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) of the brain was performed on all patients who had not undergone neuroimaging. MRI/MRA studies done for 40 pediatric patients without MGDA were also evaluated for cerebrovascular anomalies. The prevalence of anomalies in the two groups was compared by Fisher exact test. RESULTS: Nine of 20 patients (45%) with MGDA had cerebrovascular anomalies. Anomalies ranged from agenesis of the A1 segment of the anterior cerebral artery to bilateral stenosis of the internal carotid arteries with moyamoya disease. Three patients underwent revascularization procedures. Ten of 40 patients (25%) in the control group had any intracranial vascular anomaly, whereas only two of 40 (5%) had an abnormality of the anterior circulation, the most common finding in the MGDA group. CONCLUSION: We recommend that all patients with MGDA undergo MRI/MRA or computerized tomographic angiography to detect vascular and structural brain anomalies. It may be unclear whether cerebrovascular anomalies represent isolated congenital anomalies or findings of progressive occlusive cerebrovascular disease. Follow-up imaging should be considered in patients with cerebrovascular anomalies and is clearly indicated if neurologic signs or symptoms are present.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

The management of strabismus in adults--II. Patient and provider perspectives on the severity of adult strabismus and on outcome contributors.

PURPOSE: As part of a larger study intended to evaluate the management of strabismus in adults, we documented and compared patient and provider perspectives on the various factors that may contribute to treatment outcome and value of strabismus care. METHODS: By completing a questionnaire, 170 patients with strabismus (ages 19 to 87 years) and 11 strabismus specialists who performed surgery on these patients each indicated the relative weight of several disease- and treatment-related contributors to the outcome and value of care. In addition, each respondent rated the severity of the strabismus before and after surgery. RESULTS: Overall severity ratings improved as a result of surgery. The improvement perceived by the physicians was 5.1 +/- 1.7 on a 10-point scale and was larger than the 2.6 +/- 3.6 points improvement perceived by the patients ( P < 0.001). Patients and physicians expressed different views on the relative contributions to outcome and value (overall P < 0.001). Both groups indicated "the condition," "the physician," and "the procedures" as the largest contributors, but "condition" was perceived as more important by the physicians than by the patients ( P < 0.001), and "physician" was more important to the patients than to the physicians ( P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Although in approximate agreement on the main contributors to outcome and value, discrepancies exist between perspectives of patients and physicians on the relative weights of those contributors. Public information, education, and counseling may bring these perspectives better in line and ultimately improve both quality and patient satisfaction.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Iris hypoplasia and aorticopulmonary septal defect: a neurocristopathy.

BACKGROUND: Errors in neural crest development are responsible for a number of ocular disorders. In some cases, these ocular abnormalities may be associated with systemic disorders, some of which may be life threatening. METHODS: We reviewed the medical record of 3 children from 2 institutions with a similar constellation of ocular and cardiac abnormalities. RESULTS: All 3 children had iris hypoplasia with pupils 6-7 mm in diameter that had minimal or no response to light or pharmacological agents. The ocular examinations were otherwise normal. All 3 children also had large aorticopulmonary septal defects which were surgically repaired. CONCLUSIONS: We report an association between iris hypoplasia and aorticopulmonary septal defects. Like the iris stroma, the aorticopulmonary septum forms from neural crest cells during embryogenesis which divide the truncus arteriosus into the ascending aorta and pulmonary trunk. Children with iris hypoplasia should undergo an immediate cardiac evaluation. It is important that opthalmologists be aware of the association between these two disorders since an aorticopulmonary septal defect is a life-threatening disorder.

Aortopulmonary Septal Defect↗
PubMed2005

The management of strabismus in adults--III. The effects on disability.

INTRODUCTION: This is the third article in a series on the various facets of the management of strabismus in adults. Here, we give a broad overview of the types and severity of disability and provide initial validation of an instrument (questionnaire) to assess these disability aspects. METHODS: After undergoing strabismus surgery, 101 patients from 6 centers completed a 6-item questionnaire in which they rated both the before-surgery and after-surgery severity of problems associated with their strabismus, ranging from specific health, daily functioning, social interaction, concerns about the future, and self-image to job-related difficulties. RESULTS: The before-surgery outcomes showed significant variation across the 6 types of problems (P < 0.001), with "specific health" and "daily tasks" yielding the highest problem rating. Patients with diplopia reported more severe problems with "daily tasks" (P = 0.004) and "concerns about the future" (P = 0.026) than patients without diplopia. Overall, all problem ratings declined after surgery (P < 0.001), but patients who were not successfully aligned were left with higher problem ratings on "specific health" (P = 0.005), "daily tasks" (P = 0.003), and "social interaction" (P = 0.024). CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate a wide range of disability aspects in adult patients with strabismus, with moderate differences between patients with or without diplopia. Improvements in disability after surgery, as reflected by these ratings, should be taken into account when assessing the health value of adult strabismus management.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Longitudinal changes in the refractive errors of children with tears in Descemet's membrane following forceps injuries.

BACKGROUND: Eyes with tears in Descemet's membrane secondary to forceps injuries frequently develop myopic astigmatism. Little is known regarding the longitudinal changes in the refractive errors of these eyes. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of two children with tears in Descemet's membrane following forceps injuries to their left eyes. The refractive errors were followed longitudinally. RESULTS: Both patients developed myopic astigmatism in their affected eye and received optical correction and occlusion therapy. In both cases there was reduction in the myopic refractive error during early childhood. While the astigmatic refractive error was stable in one patient it decreased in the second patient. CONCLUSION: Myopia decreased in two children with myopic astigmatism secondary to tears in Descemet's membrane. Myopia in children with tears in Desemet's membrane is likely due to deformation of the cornea rather than form-deprivation.

Anisometropia↗
PubMed2004

Photorefractive keratectomy followed by strabismus surgery for the treatment of partly accommodative esotropia.

PURPOSE: To evaluate photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) followed by bilateral medial rectus muscle recessions (BMR) to treat adults with partly accommodative esotropia. METHODS: We reviewed medical records of 10 consecutive patients with partly accommodative esotropia who underwent PRK to correct hyperopia followed 6 months later by BMR to treat the accommodative and nonaccommodative components of their esotropia, respectively. Visual acuity, spherical equivalent of refractive error, alignment, and sensory data were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: Twenty eyes of 10 patients were treated and followed for 1 year. PRK was successful in treating the hyperopia (mean post-PRK spherical equivalent was 0.14 D (SD = 0.22)) and the accommodative portion of the esotropia (the mean percentage of the distance accommodative component eliminated by PRK was 101.67% and the mean percentage of the near accommodative component eliminated by PRK was 115%). However, subsequent BMR using standard surgical tables based on the distance deviation to treat the post-PRK residual (nonaccommodative) esotropia resulted in uniform undercorrection. CONCLUSION: PRK may be useful to treat the accommodative portion of partly accommodative esotropia. Bilateral medial rectus muscle recession can be used to treat the residual, nonaccommodative component; however, it may be necessary to base the surgical dosage on the near deviation.

Accommodation, Ocular↗
PubMed2003

Cataracts and glaucoma in patients with oculocerebrorenal syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Oculocerebrorenal syndrome is an X-linked recessive hereditary oculocerebrorenal disorder characterized by congenital cataract, mental retardation, and Fanconi syndrome of the proximal renal tubules. Other ocular findings include glaucoma, corneal opacity (keloid), enophthalmos, and hypotonia. OBJECTIVE: To describe the treatment of 7 patients (14 eyes) with bilateral cataracts associated with oculocerebrorenal syndrome. Method Retrospective review. RESULTS: Seven patients with oculocerebrorenal syndrome had visually significant bilateral cataracts detected on their first full ophthalmic examination. All underwent bilateral cataract surgery. The mean age (of 14 eyes) at cataract extraction was 1.25 (median, 1.1) months. Glaucoma diagnosis and treatment were more variable. The mean age (of 11 eyes) at glaucoma diagnosis was 24.1 (range, 0.2-70.0) months: the mean age was 0.2 month (of 4 eyes) when glaucoma was diagnosed before cataract extraction, and the mean age was 37.7 months (of 7 eyes) when glaucoma was diagnosed after cataract extraction. All eyes were followed up for a mean of 100.8 (range, 38-190) months. Main Outcome Measure Treatment of 7 patients (14 eyes) with bilateral cataracts associated with oculocerebrorenal syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: Early identification and surgical removal of cataracts is recommended in patients with oculocerebrorenal syndrome. Despite this, visual acuity results will only rarely be better than 20/70, and nystagmus is likely. Patients should be monitored closely and regularly for changes in intraocular pressure, optic nerve cupping, and refractive error to rule out the development of glaucoma.

Cataract↗
PubMed2003

Photorefractive keratectomy for the treatment of purely refractive accommodative esotropia.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the results of photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) for the treatment of young adult patients with purely refractive accommodative esotropia. SETTING: Private practice and university hospital, Milan, Italy. METHODS: The medical records of consecutive patients who had PRK for hyperopia associated with purely refractive esotropia were reviewed retrospectively. Preoperative and postoperative visual acuity, alignment, and sensory data were recorded and analyzed. Surgical methods and complications were reviewed. RESULTS: Sixteen eyes of 8 patients were treated. The mean patient age at the time of treatment was 24.6 years (range 17 to 38 years). All patients were followed for 1 year. At the 1-year follow-up evaluation, the uncorrected visual acuity was 20/40 or better in all eyes. No patient lost a line of best spectacle-corrected visual acuity. The mean spherical equivalent was -3.7 diopters (D) preoperatively and -0.7 D postoperatively. All patients were within +/-0.37 D of emmetropia at the 1-year evaluation. Preoperatively, the mean esotropic deviation was 10.75 prism diopters. Postoperatively, all patients were orthophoric without correction. Stereopsis was unaffected by PRK in all patients. There were no intraoperative or postoperative complications. CONCLUSION: Photorefractive keratectomy was an effective treatment for esotropia associated with mild to moderate hyperopia in young adults with purely refractive accommodative esotropia. These findings should not be widely applied to children with accommodative esotropia.

Accommodation, Ocular↗
PubMed2003

Retinopathy of prematurity in infants with birth weights greater than 1250 grams.

PURPOSE: To determine whether severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) occurs in infants whose birth weights exceed 1250 g. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 1118 premature infants with birth weights > 1250 g, who were referred for screening examinations for ROP, to determine the severity of ROP observed. We then cross-tabulated these data with each infant's estimated gestational age and birth weight. Finally, we applied currently recommended screening guidelines retrospectively to determine whether they would have identified infants who had developed severe disease and who were subsequently treated. RESULTS: Stage 3 ROP was detected in infants with estimated gestational ages up to and including 32 weeks and birth weights up to and including 1874 g. A total of 26 of the participants received laser treatment for threshold ROP. Seven of these infants would not have been referred for screening according to current guidelines. CONCLUSIONS: Current screenings guidelines may fail to detect severe ROP in larger, more mature infants.

Arizona↗
PubMed2003

The management of strabismus in adults--I. Clinical characteristics and treatment.

INTRODUCTION: This is the first in a series of articles intended to evaluate the management of strabismus in adults, including clinical outcomes and the quality, cost, and value of treatment from the perspectives of patients and health care providers. Here we present clinical characteristics, complexity of surgery, treatment success, and resolved complaints in a group of adult patients who underwent strabismus surgery. METHODS: This is a multicenter retrospective study analyzing the type and amount of ocular misalignment before and after surgery in adult patients with strabismus onset before (BVM, or age < 9 years) or after (AVM, or age >/= 9 years) visual maturation. Success was evaluated in terms of alignment, motility, and the presence of diplopia; subjective success was measured in terms of resolved complaints. The complexity of surgery was determined using the Intensity/Complexity Index and compared with success rates. RESULTS: Data are reported on 299 patients (90 BVM and 145 AVM) whose eyes were successfully aligned in 63% of the BVM cases and 81% of the AVM cases. Subjective complaints resolved at similar rates in the BVM and AVM subgroups. Successful alignment was not correlated with complexity of surgery, but motility and sensory success rates were correlated with complexity of surgery. CONCLUSION: Within each of the BVM and AVM subgroups, this study of adult strabismus showed similar surgical success rates compared with published data. This qualifies these patient groups as clinically typical of adults undergoing strabismus surgery. Additional studies will expand on health value analyses.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Pediatric refractive surgery.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This article reviews the literature on pediatric refractive surgery from 1995 to 2003 and discusses the practical issues surrounding the application of modern refractive surgery to children. RECENT FINDINGS: Preliminary data show that refractive surgery can be successfully performed in children and that the short term complication rate seems to be similar to that reported in adults. SUMMARY: Refractive surgery may hold promise for cases in which traditional treatment methods have failed. Additional study is needed to define the role of refractive surgery in children and in the treatment of amblyopia and strabismus.

Anesthesia↗