Skip to main content
Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry logoLink to Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry
. 1979 Nov;42(11):1018–1019. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.42.11.1018

Absence of parasympathetic denervation of the iris in alcoholics.

W Myers, K Willis, A Reeves
PMCID: PMC490395  PMID: 501366

Abstract

Forty patients with a history of alcohol abuse were treated with a 2% solution of methacholine to determine the prevalence of iridic parasympathetic denervation. Three (8%) of the alcoholics showed iris constriction of 1.0 mm or more, compared with three (8%) control subjects. In contrast, damage to the iridic parasympathetic nerve supply occurs in approximately 80% of patients with diabetes mellitus as determined by the same pharmacological technique.

Full text

PDF
1019

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. BRUNNSCHWEILER H. Zur Differentialdiagnose der Pupillotonie unter besonderer Berücksichtigung des Mecholyltests. Confin Neurol. 1954;14(1):50–64. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Low P. A., Walsh J. C., Huang C. Y., McLeod J. G. The sympathetic nervous system in alcoholic neuropathy. A clinical and pathological study. Brain. 1975 Sep;98(3):357–364. doi: 10.1093/brain/98.3.357. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. MARTIN M. M. Diabetic neuropathy; a clinical study of 150 cases. Brain. 1953;76(4):594–624. doi: 10.1093/brain/76.4.594. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Novak D. J., Victor M. The vagus and sympathetic nerves in alcoholic polyneuropathy. Arch Neurol. 1974 Apr;30(4):273–284. doi: 10.1001/archneur.1974.00490340001001. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Walsh J. C., McLeod J. G. Alcoholic neuropathy. An electrophysiological and histological study. J Neurol Sci. 1970 May;10(5):457–469. doi: 10.1016/0022-510x(70)90025-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Winship D. H., Caflisch C. R., Zboralske F. F., Hogan W. J. Deterioration of esophageal peristalsis in patients with alcoholic neuropathy. Gastroenterology. 1968 Aug;55(2):173–178. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES