Pediatric Ophthalmology, Strabismus and Eye Movement Service, The Laboratory of Sensorimotor Research, The National Eye Institute, The National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA. hertler@chi.osu.edu
PURPOSE: We report a female adult with congenital nystagmus who responded with improved visual function and oculographic parameters after taking the anorexic diet drug Tenuate Dospan (diethylproprionate; Watson Laboratories, Inc., Corona, California). METHODS: Observational case report. Clinical ophthalmic examination and ocular motility recordings were performed before and after administration of the drug Tenuate Dospan. RESULTS: The binocular visual acuity of the patient improved from 20/70 to 20/50, her exotropic deviation decreased from 12 to 4 prism diopters, her stereopsis increased from none to 200 seconds/arc, and her ocular motility recordings showed increased foveation periods and a broadened null zone. CONCLUSION: For unexplained reasons, the anorexic stimulant Tenuate Dospan "paradoxically" improved the nystagmus and binocular function in this patient with congenital nystagmus. This observation may be the basis for investigation of a new pharmacological treatment approach to patients with congenital nystagmus or strabismus.