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Cuban Society of Ophthalmology in Exile
MEETINGS, CONFERENCES, SYMPOSIA EDITED BY THOMJ
CUBAN SOCIETY O F OPHTHALMOLOGY IN E X I L E The first meeting of the Cuban Society of Ophthalmology in Exile was held on Octo ber 15, 1966, at the Palmer House in Chica go. Many of the men and women who prac ticed ophthalmology in pre-Castro Cuba, and who are now dispersed throughout the United States, Central and South America, have banded together to form this organiza tion. These courageous people had to aban don all their worldly goods in Cuba, faced overwhelming odds in making a new life in strange lands, and had to overcome commu nication barriers by learning a new lan guage. In addition, they worked diligently to attain professional acceptance in the coun tries of their exile. For those oculists now living in the United States this has meant an internship, passing an examination for State licensure and obtaining sufficient post graduate training to satisfy the require ments of the American Board of Ophthal mology. We Americans should extend a small measure of encouragement to these energet ic and attractive folks by recognizing the magnitude of their achievement and by helping them fulfill their training prerequi sites for certification by the American Board of Ophthalmology. Their avowed goal is to return to Cuba when that country returns to the family of free and democratic nations. Meanwhile, many are practicing in our country and are rendering valuable ophthalmologic care to their fellow Cubans and other Spanishspeaking peoples, as well as to members of the English-speaking community of their choice. Whether a change of administration in Cuba will actually result in all of the oph thalmologists returning to that land is, of course, unkown. Certainly, many will stay
CHALKLEY,
M.D.
with us and continue to make their lives in our country. Whatever their decision may be at that time, it seems appropriate to pay tribute to their valor in surmounting all manner of frustration and disappointment. Their feat of presenting 13 scientific pa pers covering clinical and investigative ophthalmic subjects at their first meeting is formidable, but viewed in terms of their total accomplishment during this very trying period of their history, it is only what one might expect. Manuel L. Stillerman
CHICAGO OPHTHALMOLOGICAL SOCIETY Alternating sursuminduction. Dr. James E. Miller. The great variety of interpretation of this syndrome was illustrated by giving a num ber of names used to describe it: (1) alter nating hypertropia, (2) alternating hyperphoria, (3) double hypertropia, (4) disso ciated vertical, (5) periodic vertical, (6) latent hypertropia, (7) intermittent hyper tropia, (8) galloping hypertropia. The clinical manifestations of hypertropia, nystagmus and horizontal deviation are quite variable from one examination to another. A slow upward movement characterizes the hy pertropia. A variable horizontal deviation is usually found. The common methods used in diagnosis are not reliable with this deviation. Large torsional defects are frequent, usually extorsion on elevation and intorsion on de pression. A combination of rotary and hori zontal nystagmus is often present. Details of this nystagmus were presented. The disturbances in following movements were described. A number of abnormal head positions assumed with this syndrome were
CUBAN SOCIETY O F OPHTHALMOLOGY IN E X I L E The first meeting of the Cuban Society of Ophthalmology in Exile was held on Octo ber 15, 1966, at the Palmer House in Chica go. Many of the men and women who prac ticed ophthalmology in pre-Castro Cuba, and who are now dispersed throughout the United States, Central and South America, have banded together to form this organiza tion. These courageous people had to aban don all their worldly goods in Cuba, faced overwhelming odds in making a new life in strange lands, and had to overcome commu nication barriers by learning a new lan guage. In addition, they worked diligently to attain professional acceptance in the coun tries of their exile. For those oculists now living in the United States this has meant an internship, passing an examination for State licensure and obtaining sufficient post graduate training to satisfy the require ments of the American Board of Ophthal mology. We Americans should extend a small measure of encouragement to these energet ic and attractive folks by recognizing the magnitude of their achievement and by helping them fulfill their training prerequi sites for certification by the American Board of Ophthalmology. Their avowed goal is to return to Cuba when that country returns to the family of free and democratic nations. Meanwhile, many are practicing in our country and are rendering valuable ophthalmologic care to their fellow Cubans and other Spanishspeaking peoples, as well as to members of the English-speaking community of their choice. Whether a change of administration in Cuba will actually result in all of the oph thalmologists returning to that land is, of course, unkown. Certainly, many will stay
CHALKLEY,
M.D.
with us and continue to make their lives in our country. Whatever their decision may be at that time, it seems appropriate to pay tribute to their valor in surmounting all manner of frustration and disappointment. Their feat of presenting 13 scientific pa pers covering clinical and investigative ophthalmic subjects at their first meeting is formidable, but viewed in terms of their total accomplishment during this very trying period of their history, it is only what one might expect. Manuel L. Stillerman
CHICAGO OPHTHALMOLOGICAL SOCIETY Alternating sursuminduction. Dr. James E. Miller. The great variety of interpretation of this syndrome was illustrated by giving a num ber of names used to describe it: (1) alter nating hypertropia, (2) alternating hyperphoria, (3) double hypertropia, (4) disso ciated vertical, (5) periodic vertical, (6) latent hypertropia, (7) intermittent hyper tropia, (8) galloping hypertropia. The clinical manifestations of hypertropia, nystagmus and horizontal deviation are quite variable from one examination to another. A slow upward movement characterizes the hy pertropia. A variable horizontal deviation is usually found. The common methods used in diagnosis are not reliable with this deviation. Large torsional defects are frequent, usually extorsion on elevation and intorsion on de pression. A combination of rotary and hori zontal nystagmus is often present. Details of this nystagmus were presented. The disturbances in following movements were described. A number of abnormal head positions assumed with this syndrome were