Jerky nystagmus

47 Jerky nystagmus



Instruction


Examine this patient’s eyes.


Test the patient’s eye movements.



Salient features



History




• Obtain a history regarding cerebellar syndrome: multiple sclerosis, alcohol, etc. (case 46)


• Ear infections (vestibular involvement)


• Horizontal nystagmus with fast components to right or left side (when eliciting nystagmus take care to keep your finger at least 2 ft (60 cm) away from the patient and avoid going laterally beyond the extent of binocular vision)


• Proceed to look for other cerebellar signs (p. 201)


• Tell the examiner that you would like to do the following:


• Examine the fundus for optic atrophy (Case 203) (multiple sclerosis)

• Take a history of vertigo (vestibular nystagmus).

Note: If the patient has vertical nystagmus in addition to horizontal nystagmus, it is more likely to be vestibular nystagmus or brainstem disease.



Diagnosis


This patient has a jerky nystagmus with optic atrophy (lesion) caused by multiple sclerosis (aetiology). I would like to examine her neurological system to evaluate the disability (functional status).

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  4. Dystrophia myotonica

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Dec 4, 2016 | Posted by in GENERAL & FAMILY MEDICINE | Comments Off on Jerky nystagmus

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