Electroscope\p=m-\ElectronMicroscope To the Editor.\p=m-\Compressionof time and space is the essence of today. For several years, having found that "electron microscope," "electron microscopy," "electron microscopist," "electron microscopic," "electron micrograph," and "electron microscopically" were, when used in sentence structure, space-occupying and sometimes hazardous in pronunciation, I compressed the terms into the following: "electroscope," "electroscopy," "electroscopist," "electroscopic," "electrograph," and "electroscopically." For example, in both the printed and spoken version, "tissues examined electron microscopically" is lengthy and a tongue twister, whereas "tissues examined electroscopically" is euphonious, has an easy cadence, and conserves space. These qualities apply as well to the other abbreviated words. Having found acceptance of the above terms by colleagues, I would suggest they be adopted by authors, speakers, and editors. Matthew T. Moore, MD
Philadelphia
Third Nerve
Palsy
To the Editor.\p=m-\Dr.Scotti's report, "Internal Carotid Origin of a Tortuous Posterior Cerebral Artery: A Cause of Ophthalmoplegia" (Arch Neurol 31:273-275, 1974), was an important contribution to the ever-
differential diagnosis of third nerve palsies. It should be emphasized that two distinct conditions coexisted in his patients. First, the posterior cerebral arteries arose from the internal carotid arteries; second and more important, arterial elongation and tortuosity were present. From the data cited by Dr. Scotti, it is apparent that the abnormal origin of the posterior cerebral arteries is fairly common and is, thus, not likely to be the primary cause of the oculomotor nerve palsies. It is, however, possible that the atypical origins resulted in an even more unusual course for the already enlarged posterior cerebral
expanding
arteries. Dr. Richard Lindenberg and I published an illustration of an oculomotor nerve that had undergone atrophy due to pressure from enlarged arteries at the base of the brain (Johns Hopkins Med J 125:95-106, 1969). We coined the adjective "dolicho-ectatic" to indicate the arterial abnormality in our 34 cases of this syndrome ex¬ amined at autopsy. Even though reports of dolicho-ectasia are becoming more common in the literature, it seems to be a little known fact that aortic aneurysms frequently coexist with the intracra¬ nial arterial abnormalities. Of our cases, 35% were so afflicted. Clinicians should be alert for extracranial mani¬ festations of this disease for they may be amenable to surgery. Joel G. Sacks, MD Chicago, Ill
Reply
to Dr. Sacks
To the Editor.\p=m-\Thecase reported by Dr. Sacks and Dr. Lindenberg is proof that pressure from enlarged arteries may cause atrophy of the oculomotor nerve. However, it is unlikely that this is the only mechanism of dysfunction in such cases; one has to explain the recurrent nature of the third nerve palsy in the reported cases. We recently observed a third patient with three transient episodes during the past year; he was neither hypertensive nor diabetic, and his angiographic picture was similar to the one already reported. In all three cases, the posterior cerebral artery arose
from the internal carotid and
elongated and tortuous, but only minimally or not at all ectatic. was
More should be known about the
anatomy of the small
vasa nervorum
to the third nerve; during micro-$ surgery on the vessels of the base of the brain, small feeding vessels are seen that could easily escape the attention of anatomists. These small vessels may be stretched by a tor¬ tuous posterior cerebral artery or may be occluded by atherosclerosis so as to be responsible for the recurrent
transient
palsy.
episodes
of third
Giuseppe Scotti, MD Department of Radiology
Clinic for Nervous and Mental Diseases University of Milan
Milan, Italy
CORRECTION
Turning the Tables.\p=m-\In the article "Infusion of Normal HL-A Identical Leukocytes in Sanfilippo Disease Type B: Estimate of Infused Cell Survival by Assays of \g=a\-N-Acetylglucosaminidase Activity and Cytogenetic Techniques: Effect on Glycosaminoglycan Excretion in the Urine," published in the November Archives (31:329-337, 1974), the text in several places
referred the reader to the wrong table. On page 330, column 2, line 21, reference to Tables 1 and 2 should have been to Table 2
only. On page 335, column 1, in lines
3 and 15, reference to Table 4 should have been to Table 2. Also on page 335, reference to Table 3 in the 10th line from the bottom of column 3 should have been to Table 1.
Downloaded From: http://archneur.jamanetwork.com/ by a University of Manitoba User on 06/16/2015
nerve
Philadelphia
Third Nerve
Palsy
To the Editor.\p=m-\Dr.Scotti's report, "Internal Carotid Origin of a Tortuous Posterior Cerebral Artery: A Cause of Ophthalmoplegia" (Arch Neurol 31:273-275, 1974), was an important contribution to the ever-
differential diagnosis of third nerve palsies. It should be emphasized that two distinct conditions coexisted in his patients. First, the posterior cerebral arteries arose from the internal carotid arteries; second and more important, arterial elongation and tortuosity were present. From the data cited by Dr. Scotti, it is apparent that the abnormal origin of the posterior cerebral arteries is fairly common and is, thus, not likely to be the primary cause of the oculomotor nerve palsies. It is, however, possible that the atypical origins resulted in an even more unusual course for the already enlarged posterior cerebral
expanding
arteries. Dr. Richard Lindenberg and I published an illustration of an oculomotor nerve that had undergone atrophy due to pressure from enlarged arteries at the base of the brain (Johns Hopkins Med J 125:95-106, 1969). We coined the adjective "dolicho-ectatic" to indicate the arterial abnormality in our 34 cases of this syndrome ex¬ amined at autopsy. Even though reports of dolicho-ectasia are becoming more common in the literature, it seems to be a little known fact that aortic aneurysms frequently coexist with the intracra¬ nial arterial abnormalities. Of our cases, 35% were so afflicted. Clinicians should be alert for extracranial mani¬ festations of this disease for they may be amenable to surgery. Joel G. Sacks, MD Chicago, Ill
Reply
to Dr. Sacks
To the Editor.\p=m-\Thecase reported by Dr. Sacks and Dr. Lindenberg is proof that pressure from enlarged arteries may cause atrophy of the oculomotor nerve. However, it is unlikely that this is the only mechanism of dysfunction in such cases; one has to explain the recurrent nature of the third nerve palsy in the reported cases. We recently observed a third patient with three transient episodes during the past year; he was neither hypertensive nor diabetic, and his angiographic picture was similar to the one already reported. In all three cases, the posterior cerebral artery arose
from the internal carotid and
elongated and tortuous, but only minimally or not at all ectatic. was
More should be known about the
anatomy of the small
vasa nervorum
to the third nerve; during micro-$ surgery on the vessels of the base of the brain, small feeding vessels are seen that could easily escape the attention of anatomists. These small vessels may be stretched by a tor¬ tuous posterior cerebral artery or may be occluded by atherosclerosis so as to be responsible for the recurrent
transient
palsy.
episodes
of third
Giuseppe Scotti, MD Department of Radiology
Clinic for Nervous and Mental Diseases University of Milan
Milan, Italy
CORRECTION
Turning the Tables.\p=m-\In the article "Infusion of Normal HL-A Identical Leukocytes in Sanfilippo Disease Type B: Estimate of Infused Cell Survival by Assays of \g=a\-N-Acetylglucosaminidase Activity and Cytogenetic Techniques: Effect on Glycosaminoglycan Excretion in the Urine," published in the November Archives (31:329-337, 1974), the text in several places
referred the reader to the wrong table. On page 330, column 2, line 21, reference to Tables 1 and 2 should have been to Table 2
only. On page 335, column 1, in lines
3 and 15, reference to Table 4 should have been to Table 2. Also on page 335, reference to Table 3 in the 10th line from the bottom of column 3 should have been to Table 1.
Downloaded From: http://archneur.jamanetwork.com/ by a University of Manitoba User on 06/16/2015
nerve
