April 10, 2009

Almost done

We're waiting for our last appointment, with Dr. Kurtzberg.

Bertrand had his ophthalmology visit this morning. We were able to balance Bertrand on the razor's edge between asleep and awake for almost an hour, which means he finally had a eye exam without his movement disorder interfering. She was able to peer deep into his retinas for a sustained period.

The good news: the "cherry red spots" common in many lysosomal storage disorders were definitely not there. However, the optic nerve showed signs of "going pale." She said it was by no means severe, but that it wasn't exactly the color she expects to see in a healthy eye at his age. She also saw a cloudier reflection in his retina than she would have liked. She recommended an electroretinogram if he begins to exhibit vision problems.

The "graying" of the optic nerve had her concerned that he could be in the early stages of optic nerve atrophy, a condition common in some lysosomal storage disorders and some leukodystrophies.

2 comments :

  1. Wao! It's amazing how can they do an eye exam on a little baby! I guess the doctor skipped the reading of the letters part!
    It's contradictory: no cheery spots but "graying" optic nerve!
    I am learning a lot from you on medical terms!
    Love
    Titi Lili

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  2. Hi Bertrand and Family,

    My son Jackson underwent a cord blood transplant at Duke for Krabbe Disease in 2004 (he has late onset, started showing symptoms at 15 months). You're in the best of hands there. I hope things go well with your meeting with Dr. K, I'll check back to see. Email me if I can be of any help or answer any questions.

    Peace and blessings,
    D'Anne White
    www.jacksonwhite.com
    mama@jacksonwhite.com

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