[Clinical study and potentials of combined (conservative and surgical) treatment in congenital nystagmus]

Abstract

Clinical peculiarities of nystagmus have been studied in 73 patients, aged from 5 to 15 years, possibilities of conservative and surgical treatment shown and results of the combined treatment analysed. A great attention was paid to a comprehensive study of this contingent of patients, and the method of registration and analysis of jerking movements of the eye in nystagmus is described. On deciding the question of surgical treatment for nystagmus it is necessary to consider the data of electrophysiologic investigations characterizing the functional state of the retina. As indications to surgical treatment were considered the presence of a selective position of the head, i.e. jerk nystagmus or its mixed form with predominance of a jerk component, when the amplitude of jerking movements of the eye becomes smaller and visual acuity increases. As a result of the operation, the forced position of the head could be corrected in 77% of cases, intensity of nystagmus reduced in 73.2%, and visual acuity elevated in 69.4%.