A randomized, controlled study of the effect of alternate-day prednisone therapy on renal transplant recipients was done on 53 patients followed for 610 patient months. There was no difference between the 17 recipients of related donor organs who received alternate-day prednisone (experimentals) and their 15 controls who received daily prednisone nor between the 11 experimental and 10 control recipients of cadaver donor organs as regards: rejections per patient month, change in serum creatinine, doses of azathioprine or prednisone, or weight. Likewise the controls and experimentals of the related and cadaver groups did not seem different in either their blood pressure change or their tendency to lose their Cushingoid facies. Alternate-day steroids had no obvious effect on the development of posterior subcapsular cataracts in either related or cadaver organ recipients.
Rectus muscle union in sixth nerve paralysis not only straightens the eye, but is a safe, simple, and effective procedure. It improves the function in the field of gaze of the involved muscle, produces a good cosmetic result, often with fusion, and little or no vertical muscle imbalance.
Ocular injury is responsible for 50% of eye emergencies and is a common cause or possible source of visual loss. It is a common and at times worrisome problem in an office practice because it may present as an insignificant injury when, in fact, a proper evaluation may reveal a more serious condition. For example, a "black eye" may need more than cold compresses. A very careful eye examination may reveal a small hyphema, a distorted iris, a small corneal laceration, an occult perforation, or intraocular bleeding secondary to a retinal tear. These findings would necessitate prompt referral to an ophthalmologist for further evaluation. It is, therefore, imperative that as thorough an evaluation as possible be done by proper history taking and meticulous comprehensive examination. More mistakes are made by not inquiring and looking than by not knowing.