Diagnosis and Management of Ocular Motility Disorders

Abstract

Book reviews There are 14 sections with selected articles from the world's medical literature relating to important findings and innovations published during 1984, the year preceding the 1985 Year Book. The sections cover every important aspect of ophthalmology from eyelids to basic sciences. The lay out is excellent and the abbreviated original articles mostly read well and provide a stimulus to refer to original articles. Not surprisingly the greatest number of articles referred to are in the sections on retina and glaucoma and the fewest under vitreous. Refractive surgery covers some well balanced articles, and the editor has done well in general to produce an even emphasis throughout the Year Book. It is only after a series of stretching decisions that an editor is led to select articles for inclusion in a review of the world's ophthalmological literature as in the Year Book. The 1985 Year Book is an even and very readable selection of the more innovative articles and is highly recommended for all ophthalmologists. It is a pleasure to have articles selected to provide a balanced review and to guide the readership to other source articles. This is the third volume in the series 'Frontiers of Clinical Neuroscience'. The book comprises 49 chapters on different subjects relating to the study of evoked electrical responses recorded from the brain and spinal cord. In effect the chapters are separate papers and stand by themselves. Roger Cracco and Ivan Bodis-Wollner have drawn together many distinguished contributors, making the whole a useful review for students, clinicians, and research workers. The book is divided into eight sections dealing with basic science aspects, animal models, diagnostic uses as well as paediatric, and surgical and psychiatric applications. All types of evoked responses are considered, and the Ophthalmologist will find about 15 relevant chapters. Applications of the VEP in children are of special interest in section VII and there are two chapters on the pattern ERG earlier in the book. There is also an up-to-date review of the VEP in human albinism. The balance of the book reflects the current state of research in the subject and the recent increase in interest in auditory, vestibular, and somatosensory responses. It certainly should be purchased by departmental libraries and those with a special interest in the subject. The authors of this book are an orthoptist and ophthal-mologist, both of the greatest distinction. It fulfils a need that has long existed for a sensible, well balanced, and down to earth text which addresses the complex field of orthoptics and ocular motility. It is equally suitable as a guide to orthoptists, who will learn much from the sections on management of motility problems, and as a clear account for ophthalmologists as to exactly what all those incomprehensible things on the orthoptic report actually mean. The book is divided into three sections. Part I concerns history taking and patient examination, including modern tests for visual function. There are also chapters on refraction, detection and measurement of the deviation, and assessment of binocular function. Section II covers principles of non-surgical and surgical management, with clear accounts of spectacles, exercises, and eyedrops, followed by a comprehensive account of the most valuable surgical procedures, with notes on complications and re-operations. The excellent illustrations in this section are the work of Bruce Noble, also a consultant ophthalmologist at Leeds. Section III addresses the management of specific conditions in the field of ocular motility disorders, with sections on amblyopia, concomitant strabismus, microtropia, disorders of accommodation/convergence, paralytic and restrictive strabismus, supranuclear, and internuclear disorders , and nystagmus. Overall the book fulfils its intentions admirably, is well balanced and highly readable, and has an excellent index.