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Article
September 1931

OCULAR CONVERGENCE: ITS RELATION TO BASAL METABOLISM AND ENDOCRINE DISEASE: A PRELIMINARY REPORT

Author Affiliations

Clinical Assistant in Ophthalmology, Northwestern University ; Adjunct, Michael Reese Hospital CHICAGO

Arch Ophthalmol. 1931;6(3):389-391. doi:10.1001/archopht.1931.00820070405004
Abstract

In 1891, Möbius1 pointed out that unilateral convergence is normal in exophthalmic goiter, but that in spite of muscular palsy or mechanical interference due to extreme protrusion of the eyeballs the act of binocular convergence is diminished.

In all modern textbooks relating to general medicine, the endocrine glands, ophthalmology or neurology, mention is made of the so-called Möbius sign of insufficiency of convergence in exophthalmic goiter. Osler,2 Anders3 and Blumer4 had little to add except to call attention to the sign, and the words of Price,5 "Various symptoms have been associated with exophthalmos, and although they do not add materially to the ease or certainty of diagnosis they are traditions of medicine," are suggestive of the attitude taken concerning the significance of insufficiency of convergence in general diseases.

Sahli,6 in his textbook on diagnostic methods, drew the following conclusion :

In spite of such

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