A 9-year-old female who suffered from a progressive scoliotic spine in the thoracic and lumbar regions showed a convergence nystagmus together with bilateral abducens paresis.
Oto-neurological examinations revealed that before treatment there were no signs of horizontally induced voluntary and involuntary (optokinetic and caloric) eye movements, whereas no abnormalities were found in vertically induced voluntary and involuntary (optokinetic) eye movements. A Milwaukee brace treatment was prescribed for this patient. After the treatment the degree of scoliosis was significantly reduced and there was an evident disappearance or reduction in the convergence nystagmus and the bodily disequilibrium mentioned above.
Thus the convergence nystagmus described above was probably due to dysfunction of the pontine reticular formation, as a result of hyperactivity of the lumbar proprioceptors.
