Clinical Characteristics of Strabismic Children with A History of Pseudoesotropia

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The epicanthal fold in Korean children is a common cause of pseudoesotropia. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to evaluate the clinical characteristics of strabismus in children diagnosed with pseudoesotropia. METHODS: We reviewed the charts of children diagnosed with strabismus from February 2004 to January 2005. Strabismic children with a history of pseudoesotropia were included in this study. We recorded the age and chief complaints at the time of pseudoesotropia diagnosis as well as the type of strabismus, the visual acuity, chief complaints, and refractive error at the time of strabismus diagnosis. RESULTS: One hundred and two of 734 children with strabismus (13.9%) had a history of pseudoesotropia. The mean age at the time of pseudoesotropia diagnosis was 2.9 years. The mean age at the time of strabismus diagnosis was 4.4 years. The type of strabismus was exotropia in 58 (56.9%) and esotropia in 39 (38.2%) cases. Refractive accommodative esotropia was seen in 89.7% of esotropia cases and the basic type was seen in 86.2% of exotropia cases. The concurrence rate between chief complaints of pseudoesotropia and the type of strabismus diagnosed was lower in exotropia than in esotropia. There was hyperopia in all the esotropia cases, and the distribution of refractive error was variable in exotropia. The frequency of amblyopia was 19.6%. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of strabismus is high in the case of children diagnosed with pseodoesotropia. Therefore, regular examinations for strabismus, refractive error and amblyopia may be necessary.