A Case of Congenital Inferior Oblique Palsy

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Paresis of the inferior oblique is the least likely to result in paralysis. We report a patient without a history of trauma successfully treated using contralateral IO recession and SR recession. CASE SUMMARY: A 25-year-old male patient presented to us with an extended history of abnormal head posture, manifested by a marked habitual left head tilt with a face turn to the right. A cover test in the primary position demonstrated 15 prism diopter right hypertropia, which increased to 25 prism diopter right hypertropia in right gaze and 20 prism diopter right hypertropia in right head tilt. The patient was diagnosed with IO palsy, and a right IO recession was performed. RESULTS: Following the IO recession, head tilt was completely resolved and face turn to the right was slightly resolved. Cover test in the primary position demonstrated 12 prism diopter right hypertropia, which increased to 20 prism diopter right hypertropia in right gaze. A head tilt test demonstrated a symmetrical 12 prism diopter right hypertropia. We performed a right SR recession to decrease face turn and hypertropia in the primary position. CONCLUSIONS: We report a patient manifesting abnormal head posture diagnosed with IO palsy, which was successfully treated using contralateral IO recession and SR recession.