[Ultrastructural study of the extraocular muscles from congenital nystagmus].
OBJECTIVE
To study the pathogenesis of congenital nystagmus.


METHODS
We observed the ultrastructure of extraocular muscles from congenital nystagmus patients with transmission electron microscope.


RESULTS
As to extraocular muscle in congenital nystagmus of jerky type, there wre myofibrillae perpendicular to axes of myocytes within the myocytes in the quick phase side. This kind of myofibrillae had the structure of sarcomeres. In slow phase side, there were perpendicular myofibrillae in the periphery of myocytes and the adjacent nuclear region. There was dense nuclear matrix within myocytes and the membrane of nucleus was intact. With regard to pendular type of congenital nystagmus, there was no perpendicular myofibrillae within myocytes. The myofibrillae parallel to the axes of myocytes were arranged disorderly. The length of sarcomeres in different myofibrillar was not identical. Within myocytes of different types of congenital nystagmus, there was a large amount of mitochondria, in which the inner crest was arranged disorderly and there was vacuole formation.


CONCLUSIONS
This study demonstrates that congenital nystagmus has the pathological basis of ultrastructural changes.
Peng
G
G
Department of Ophthalmology, First Teaching Hospital, Henan Medical University, Zhengzhou.
Yang
J
J
Su
W
W
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008931:Mitochondria, Muscle / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009210:Myofibrils / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009759:Nystagmus, Pathologic / Q000151:congenital* / Q000473:pathology; D009801:Oculomotor Muscles / Q000648:ultrastructure*