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Atlas of Strabismus
VOL. 76, NO. 1
BOOK REVIEWS
The black and white illustrations are of good quality, while two color plates add lit tle. There is a good bibliography and ade quate index. In short, this text contains much valuable information about glaucoma. The material is presented in a concise, easily read manner. Practicing ophthalmologists and residents would not go wrong in having this book on hand. Paul R. Lichter ATLAS OF STRABISMUS, 2nd ed. By Gunter
K. von Noorden and A. Edward Maumenee. St. Louis, C. V. Mosby, 1973. Clothbound, 204 pages, table of contents, index, 325 illustrations, 124 figures, 34 color plates. $23.50 The second edition of Atlas of Strabismus is basically a refined version of the first edi tion, with a few excellent additions such as the technique of scotoma measurement with prism and retinal correspondence measure ments on the major amblyoscope. This book is still a primer of basic techniques in stra bismus evaluation, including its concise de scription of the way each test works and the indications for its use. This volume hews to the concept of an atlas, is well illustrated with diagrams and photographs, and the au thors have admirably resisted the temptation to explain excessively what is illustrated graphically. The illustrations are well chosen to carry out the instructional task assigned to them. There are several sections of the atlas which deserve special mention for their clar ity: The four-prism diopter test is so well described that it should allow anyone to un derstand it well enough to begin using it rou tinely. Similarly, the section on fixation be
169
havior and testing is exceptionally good, with clear description of the behavior of the patient in regard to retinal areas of fixation during Visuscope observation. Another plus is the new section describing transposition of horizontal muscles to correct A and V pat terns. The critical comments that do seem appro priate all involve the prose rather than the illustrations. The authors do not point out the main weakness of Visusope testing— namely, that the target is usually not large enough to extend past the scotoma onto suffi cient areas of the retina to permit the exam iner some idea of the manner in which the patient actually fixates. However, they do point out several methods that the examiner can use to confirm the patient's fixation pat tern. Another criticism is that while the of ten-suggested method for treating alternat ing sursumduction has been weakening the superior recti muscles, some of us feel that strengthening the inferior recti muscles—not mentioned in the present volume—is a better procedure. More disturbing, however, is the inclusion in this edition of Dr. von Noorden's past suggestions that patients with V esotropia be treated by weakening of the inferior oblique muscles in one sitting, with the esotropia corrected in another, de spite the well known resultant worsening of the esotropia (it becomes comitant from the prior V ) . I believe that we should be encour aging correction in a single procedure. Simi lar comments could be made about several of the other suggested treatments, but these would be expressions of my own bias. No criticism should obscure the basic great merit of this atlas. Certainly every ophthal mologist should profit from and enjoy read ing it, and I heartily recommend it. Robert D. Reinecke
BOOK REVIEWS
The black and white illustrations are of good quality, while two color plates add lit tle. There is a good bibliography and ade quate index. In short, this text contains much valuable information about glaucoma. The material is presented in a concise, easily read manner. Practicing ophthalmologists and residents would not go wrong in having this book on hand. Paul R. Lichter ATLAS OF STRABISMUS, 2nd ed. By Gunter
K. von Noorden and A. Edward Maumenee. St. Louis, C. V. Mosby, 1973. Clothbound, 204 pages, table of contents, index, 325 illustrations, 124 figures, 34 color plates. $23.50 The second edition of Atlas of Strabismus is basically a refined version of the first edi tion, with a few excellent additions such as the technique of scotoma measurement with prism and retinal correspondence measure ments on the major amblyoscope. This book is still a primer of basic techniques in stra bismus evaluation, including its concise de scription of the way each test works and the indications for its use. This volume hews to the concept of an atlas, is well illustrated with diagrams and photographs, and the au thors have admirably resisted the temptation to explain excessively what is illustrated graphically. The illustrations are well chosen to carry out the instructional task assigned to them. There are several sections of the atlas which deserve special mention for their clar ity: The four-prism diopter test is so well described that it should allow anyone to un derstand it well enough to begin using it rou tinely. Similarly, the section on fixation be
169
havior and testing is exceptionally good, with clear description of the behavior of the patient in regard to retinal areas of fixation during Visuscope observation. Another plus is the new section describing transposition of horizontal muscles to correct A and V pat terns. The critical comments that do seem appro priate all involve the prose rather than the illustrations. The authors do not point out the main weakness of Visusope testing— namely, that the target is usually not large enough to extend past the scotoma onto suffi cient areas of the retina to permit the exam iner some idea of the manner in which the patient actually fixates. However, they do point out several methods that the examiner can use to confirm the patient's fixation pat tern. Another criticism is that while the of ten-suggested method for treating alternat ing sursumduction has been weakening the superior recti muscles, some of us feel that strengthening the inferior recti muscles—not mentioned in the present volume—is a better procedure. More disturbing, however, is the inclusion in this edition of Dr. von Noorden's past suggestions that patients with V esotropia be treated by weakening of the inferior oblique muscles in one sitting, with the esotropia corrected in another, de spite the well known resultant worsening of the esotropia (it becomes comitant from the prior V ) . I believe that we should be encour aging correction in a single procedure. Simi lar comments could be made about several of the other suggested treatments, but these would be expressions of my own bias. No criticism should obscure the basic great merit of this atlas. Certainly every ophthal mologist should profit from and enjoy read ing it, and I heartily recommend it. Robert D. Reinecke