Abstract
Disturbances of accommodation are part of the spectrum of neuro-ophthalmological findings in patients with Minamata disease. The authors conducted a study in an animal model of mercury toxicity to identify the anatomical lesions underlying these defects. Three common marmosets received 1.0 mg/kg of methylmercury chloride (MMC) twice weekly for seven to ten weeks until signs of mercury toxicity evolved. Histopathological analysis revealed severe neuronal loss and proliferation of astroglia in the Edinger-Westphal (EW) and anteromedian (AM) nuclei of the midbrain. Less severe neuronal degeneration was observed in the cerebral cortex surrounding the lateral sulcus. In addition, a single animal showed gliosis in the region of the fastigial nucleus of the cerebellum. Among cortical and subcortical structures involved in accommodation the EW and AM nuclei were the most severely affected.The authors' results suggest that impaired accommodation in patients with methylmercury intoxication arises mainly from lesion...
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