Summary of eye examinations of 284 patients with multiple sclerosis.

The aim of this article is to report the findings of ocular examinations in a group of patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis who were referred to the eye department of the Nationaal Multiple Sclerosis Centrum of Melsbroek, Belgium, from 2007 to 2010. Patients were evaluated by a single examiner, who noted visual acuity for distance, the state of the optic disks, oculomotor balance, and the presence of nystagmus, uveitis, trigeminal neuralgia, and facial palsy. The sample consisted of 284 adults born between 1920 and 1989: 111 males and 173 females.

Ocular problems in early stages of multiple sclerosis.

Purpose: In its early course, multiple sclerosis (MS) manifests in a variety of symptoms so that ophthalmologists should know that the ocular problems are often the first sign of the disease and may predict additional demyelinating events.

Method: The author have reviewed the data in the recent literature about the ocular problems in the early stages of MS.

Results: The initial signs of MS are: optic neuritis (acute, unilateral), blurred vision, diplopia or oscillopsia (illusory visual motion) due to oculomotor disorder, chronic bilateral uveitis, facial palsy (similar to an idiopathic Bell's palsy), paresthesias, numbness or/and pain in one or more areas innervated by the ramifications of the trigeminal nerve.

Screen tests used to map out ocular deviations.

A century ago Hess described how to map out ocular deviations on two pieces of paper in cases of diplopia. This paper discusses how to obtain useful information regarding ocular deviations from a chart that has been obtained from screen tests (Hess, Lancaster, Lees, Weiss).

Nonglaucomatous optic disk atrophy and excavation in the elderly.

The causes of nonglaucomatous optic disk atrophy and excavation are enumerated in people 65 years or older: congenital anomalies, myopia, ischemic disorders, transsynaptic degeneration, traumatic, compressive, hereditary, toxic and infectious optic neuropathy.

Leading causes of blindness worldwide.

The main causes of blindness and visual disabilities, as described in documents published by the World Health Organization (WHO), are discussed.