Ocular Disease: Strabismus

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Strabismus is a visual defect in which the eyes are misaligned and point in different directions. Commonly referred to as "crossed eyes", the defect is more common among children from infancy to 6 years of age, but it can occur later in life. The exact cause of the defect is not fully understood. In some cases, the condition may be genetically linked, but may also occur with no family history of the disorder. If left untreated, strabismus may lead to amblyopia in the affected eye.

Three of the most common types of strabismus include:

1. Esotropia: one of the eyes turns inward toward the nose. This is common among infants with strabismus. Surgery may be used to adjust the muscular tension on the eye in order to allow it to direct straight ahead.

2. Accommodative Esotropia: common among farsighted children aged two years and older. Eye drops, ointments, lenses with prisms, or bifocals may be used to help correct this condition.

3. Exotropia: one of the eyes directs outward. This tends to occur when the child is attempting to focus on distant objects and may come and go from time to time. This type may be controlled with special prescription glasses and exercises, but permanent correction often requires surgery.

Physical indications include the eyes appearing misaligned, squinting one eye when in bright sunlight or tilting the head in order to use both eyes together.

• Age - normally affects children from about 21 months to 6 years of age

• Brain disorders such as cerebral palsy, down syndrome, hydrocephalus, or brain tumors

• Cataracts

• Ocular injury

• Prescription eyeglasses with special corrective lenses

• Surgery to correct abnormal muscular function or to remove a cataract

• Patching the stronger eye to correct amblyopia, if necessary

• Injections

The exact cause of the disorder is often unknown. The condition may not be preventable, but with proper treatment it may be corrected and normal visual functioning may be restored.