Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to R M Burde.
A 39-year-old woman presented to her ophthalmologist complaining of floaters. This was associated with elevation of the optic disc and late staining of the retinal veins. The differential diagnosis of venous occlusive disease is discussed.
A 70-year-old man presented with mild retrobulbar discomfort and diplopia with a marked left abduction deficit. Three days later the patient noted a sudden decrease of vision in his left eye. A CT scan revealed enhancement of structures of the left orbital apex. A discussion of the differential diagnosis, appropriate testing procedures, and suggested treatment is included. The patient responded to corticosteroid therapy with complete resolution of the problem.
A 63-year-old man developed bilateral conjunctival injection and irritation followed by periocular discomfort and diplopia. Within weeks left proptosis and intermittent fever were noted. Orbital CT scan showed bilateral nodular enlargement of multiple extraocular muscles. Fine needle aspiration biopsy of the extraocular muscles revealed neoplastic cells compatible with a renal cell carcinoma. The bilateral extraocular muscle metastases were the initial manifestations of the underlying malignancy.
A patient with chronic, bilateral optic disc edema developed multiple systemic manifestations of POEMS syndrome (polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, M-protein, skin changes). A serum immunoelectrophoresis showed an abnormal serum IgG lambda protein, and urine immunoelectrophoresis revealed a monoclonal lambda protein plus an IgG lambda fragment. Bone survey and MRI scan revealed a sclerotic lesion of the first lumbar vertebra, and lymph node biopsy showed changes consistent with Castleman's disease. Thus, his optic disc edema was the presenting feature of the POEMS syndrome and osteosclerotic myeloma.
Voluntary or passive head movements in normal and awake individuals with or without visual clues other than prior visual fixation, produce an occular movement in the same direction as the head movement rather than the expected counter gaze movement.
Orbital decompression to treat progressive loss of vision owing to long-term hormonal disease is a well-documented curative procedure. Over the past four years, two patients suffering from acute visual problems, owing to trauma and infection, have rapidly deteriorated to a no light perception visual level. In these two instances, vision was restored by timely orbital decompression.
In order to determine whether components of the interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R) and lymphoid cells are present in extra ocular and periocular tissues from patients with chronic, stable thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) we studied 16 specimens of extra ocular muscle and periorbital connective tissue from 14 patients with chronic, stable, TAO using an immunohistochemical assay and a panel of murine monoclonal antibodies reactive with IL-2R alpha and beta components and lymphoid cell surface markers. As controls we studied orbital tissues from 11 patients undergoing surgery for unrelated orbital disorders. All extra ocular muscle specimens from patients with TAO exhibited IL-2R beta expression primarily on the perimysium and endomysium surrounding the ocular muscle fasciculi and fibers of which nine specimens stained intensely. The Natural Killer (NK) cell marker CD57 was the most common cell surface antigen detected, in seven of nine specimens, whose localization often corresponded to that of IL-2R beta distribution. No IL-2R alpha expression was detected in any specimen. Seven of the 11 control specimens were positive for IL-2R beta but in a less intense fashion than in TAO specimens while no CD57 staining was detected. T cell, B cell, and cells of granulocyte and monocyte lineage were only occasionally found in both TAO and control specimens. The aberrant expression of IL-2R beta and CD57 which may be representative of NK cell presence in extra ocular muscle tissues from patients with stable, chronic TAO may play a role in the pathogenesis of the ophthalmopathy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)