Ocular and ocular motor aspects of primary thalamic haemorrhage.

As part of a correlative study of the neuro-ophthalmological abnormalities in thalamic haemorrhage, we report preliminary findings in six patients with this condition diagnosed by clinical and CT brain examinations. Five patients were middle-aged and hypertensive. Two had Horner's syndrome, and three anisocoria. Three patients had prominent mesencephalic dysfunction. There was pathological confirmation of the lesion in one case. The pathogenesis of the signs of midbrain disturbance in these patients is uncertain, but may comprise pressure, traction or hypoxia, separately or in combination. There was no positive correlation between the estimated size of the demonstrated haemorrhage and the severity of the neuro-ophthalmological abnormality.