Absence of parasympathetic denervation of the iris in alcoholics.
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.
D000437:Alcoholism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003714:Denervation; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007498:Iris / Q000294:innervation*; D008297:Male; D008688:Methacholine Compounds; D010275:Parasympathetic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology*
D008688:Methacholine Compounds