Most cases of strabismus in children are of unknown cause. More than half are present at or shortly after birth (congenital strabismus). Strabismus in children is frequently associated with amblyopia, or lazy eye. Children with esotropia, or eyes turning in, are often farsighted. Strabismus in children may also occur in cerebral palsy, or in children who have diminished vision from any other cause.

Acquired strabismus in adults may result from injuries to the orbit or brain, including closed head injuries and strokes. Persons with diabetes often have loss of circulation to muscle which turns the eye outward, causing an acquired paralytic strabismus. Loss of vision in one eye from any cause will usually cause the eye to gradually turn outward (exotropia).

Some of the disorders that can be associated with strabismus in children include:

• Amblyopia
• Retinopathy of prematurity
• Retinoblastoma
• Traumatic brain injury
• Hemangioma near eye during infancy
• Apert syndrome
• Noonan syndrome
• Prader-Willi syndrome
• Trisomy 18
• Congenital rubella
• Incontinentia pigmenti syndrome
• Cerebral palsy

Some of the disorders that can be associated with strabismus in adults include:

• Diabetes
• Vision loss from any eye disease or injury
• Stroke
• Traumatic brain injury
• Paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP)
• Guillain-Barre syndrome
• Botulism

When the two eyes look in different directions, the brain of children may learn to ignore the image from one of the eyes. If this continues, it may become permanent, and the eye which the brain ignores will never see well. This loss of vision is called amblyopia. This does not happen when new strabismus happens in an adult.

A family history of the disease is a risk factor. Farsightedness may be a contributing factor. Any other disease causing visual loss may result in strabismus as a complication.

Ency. home > Disease > S > Strabismus

[an error occurred while processing this directive]