Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0022568 (keratitis)
 5,133 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The conversion of Saul to Paul was a major event in the history of Western culture. Compared with its impact, any medical comments may seem redundant, but they have kept their place in the literature for many centuries. The flashing light that caused Saul to fall is often explained as solar retinopathy or keratitis, a seizure, or even a hysterical fit. These interpretations propose either a trivial injury or disease that would interfere with mental health. Neither version is quite compatible with the dramatic dimension of the event and with Paul's later achievements and sufferings. In later years, Paul became a great manager, preacher and writer who was able to carry on under any kind of duress, though not without very painful reactions. He was suffering from bouts of unilateral headache, and also from a chronic eye condition which gave great trouble to his followers but did not cause lasting damage; the descriptions fulfil the criteria for migraine without aura of the 1988 Headache Classification. If the flashing light that caused Paul to fall down is interpreted as a visual migraine aura, with the additional symptoms of "not seeing" or photophobia and anorexia, it falls into place with his later history of migraine.
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PMID:Headache classification and the Bible: Was St Paul's thorn in the flesh migraine? 755 4

This article analyzes various types of ocular disorders associated with the use of oral contraceptives (OCs) as well as the ocular risks of pregnancy in diabetic women. Numerous publications have described the secondary ophthalmologic effects of OCs since they have entered into widespread use. Such effects or complications are rare, nonspecific, occur after a short or long duration of use, and may be serious or minor. Among less serious reported effects are modifications of refraction or ocular tension, intolerance of contact lenses, keratitis, and alterations of color vision. Vascular complications are the most serious effect tentatively identified, but few prospective and comparative studies have been conducted to confirm the relationship. The role of OCs is assumed from observation of a few cases, and is disturbing because vascular accidents are rare in women under age 40. The vascular effects may include venous or arterial occlusion of the retina, isolated bleeding, retinal edema, vascular pseudo-papillitis, or visual problems resulting from transient cerebral ischemic accidents and ophthalmic migraines. Such effects may threaten the eyesight, but an American study recently found 82 cases among 10-15 million OC users. Occlusion of the main retinal artery usually results in loss of sight and functional recuperation is unusual. Spasm of the central retinal artery may precede occlusion and requires immediate ophthalmologic examination and discontinuation of OCs. Venous occlusion occurs less suddenly and involves a less extensive loss of sight. The prognosis depends on the affected area. Some effects, such as isolated retinal bleeding and vascular pseudo-papillitis, are reversed on termination of OC use. The risk of ocular vascular accidents is affected by smoking, irregular lipid and glucose metabolism, and hypertension. A history of vascular problems, visual problems, or migraines should be excluded before OCs are prescribed, and an initial ophthalmologic examination can explore retinal vascular anomalies and follow high risk patients with fluorescent angiography. Migraines should be considered a warning signal; if they appear premenstrually or persist despite use of low-dose pills, another method of contraception should be used. The considerable elevation of levels of estrogen and progesterone that occurs in pregnancy has no major ocular consequences for normal women but may cause or aggravate retinopathy in diabetic women. Few prospective studies have been done, but it appears that 80% of retinopathies that originate in pregnancy remain uncomplicated. Preexisting conditions are likely to become more serious. The most serious are associated with elevated rates of spontaneous abortion and neonatal complications. A diabetic woman desiring to have children should be advised to do so as early as possible and should be screened for retinal disease and treated before becomig pregnant.
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PMID:[The eye and hormones: vascular disorders associated with combined oral contraceptives and pregnancy]. 1228 Feb 1

Botulinum toxin blocks acetylcholine release at the neuromuscular junction. The drug which was initially found to be useful in the treatment of strabismus has been extremely effective in the treatment of variety of conditions, both cosmetic and noncosmetic. Some of the noncosmetic uses of botulinum toxin applications include treatment of spastic facial dystonias, temporary treatment of idiopathic or thyroid dysfunction-induced upper eyelid retraction, suppression of undesired hyperlacrimation, induction of temporary ptosis by chemodenervation in facial paralysis, and correction of lower eyelid spastic entropion. Additional periocular uses include control of synchronic eyelid and extraocular muscle movements after aberrant regeneration of cranial nerve palsies. Cosmetic effects of botulinum toxin were discovered accidentally during treatments of facial dystonias. Some of the emerging nonperiocular application for the drug includes treatment of hyperhidrosis, migraine, tension-type headaches, and paralytic spasticity. Some of the undesired side effects of periocular applications of botulinum toxin inlcude ecchymosis, rash, hematoma, headache, flu-like symptoms, nausea, dizziness, loss of facial expression, lower eyelid laxity, dermatochalasis, ectropion, epiphora, eyebrow and eyelid ptosis, lagophthalmos, keratitis sicca, and diplopia.
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PMID:Noncosmetic periocular therapeutic applications of botulinum toxin. 2061 16