Original article
Spontaneous resolution of early-onset esotropia: experience of the congenital esotropia observational study22,

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0002-9394(01)01316-2Get rights and content

Abstract

PURPOSE: To determine the probability of spontaneous resolution of esotropia with onset in early infancy.

DESIGN: Prospective multicenter cohort study.

METHODS: Eligibility criteria included age at enrollment 4 to < 20 weeks and an esotropia measuring at least 20 prism diopters (pd). The primary outcome measure was ocular alignment at 28 to 32 weeks of age. The esotropia was classified as resolved when there was a misalignment of 0 to 8 pd at the outcome examination either with or without spectacle correction.

RESULTS: Outcome data were available for 170 of the 175 enrolled patients. The esotropia was classified as resolved in 46 of the 170 patients (27%, 95% confidence interval = 21% to 34%). Most of the resolved cases had an intermittent or variable deviation at enrollment. Resolution occurred in only one of 42 cases that had a constant esotropia ≥ 40 pd on both the baseline and first follow-up examination and had a refractive error ≤+ 3.00 diopters. In another patient, who had an esotropia of 35 pd at baseline and 40 pd at the outcome examination, the esotropia resolved subsequent to the outcome examination.

CONCLUSIONS: Esotropia with onset in early infancy frequently resolves in patients first examined at less than 20 weeks of age when the deviation is < 40 pd in size and is intermittent or variable. Cases with a constant deviation ≥ 40 pd presenting after 10 weeks of age have a low likelihood of spontaneous resolution. Our results can be used to define a clinical profile for which persistence of the esotropia is sufficiently likely that surgical correction at 3 to 4 months of age could reasonably be considered.

Section snippets

Methods

The study was conducted by 137 investigators at 104 clinical sites. Investigators were fellowship-trained pediatric ophthalmologists with at least 1 year of clinical practice experience. An institutional review board approved the study for each site and written informed consent was obtained for participation. An independent monitoring committee provided study oversight.

Baseline characteristics

: Between December 1997 and July 2000, 175 patients were enrolled by 137 certified investigators. The age of the patients at the time of the initial visit (baseline) ranged from 4 weeks (29 days) to 19 weeks (139 days) and averaged 14 weeks (97 ± 26 days); 54% of the patients were female and 76% were Caucasian.

The esotropia at baseline was characterized as constant in 98 (56%) of the patients, variable in 43 (25%), and intermittent in 34 (19%). Most of the large-angle deviations (≥ 40 pd) were

Discussion

In this multicenter observational study of 170 patients with early-onset esotropia who were enrolled at 4 to < 20 weeks of age, we found that the esotropia resolved without surgery by the outcome examination (at 28 to 32 weeks of age in most patients) in 46 patients (27%). Resolution was spontaneous in 42 patients and concomitant with spectacle wear in 4 patients. Whether wearing spectacles contributed to the resolution in these patients is unknown since most patients who had hyperopia treated

References (24)

  • M.R. Ing

    Progressive increase in the angle of deviation in congenital esotropia

    Trans Am Ophthalmol Soc

    (1994)
  • D.H. Hubel et al.

    Binocular interaction in striate cortex of kittens reared with artificial squint

    J Neurophysiol

    (1965)
  • Cited by (85)

    • Nonsurgical Treatment of Strabismus

      2022, Advances in Ophthalmology and Optometry
      Citation Excerpt :

      An outcome visit was conducted between 28 and 32 weeks of age. The esotropia resolved in 27% of patients, 8.7% of whom were treated with spectacles [4]. An additional 4% of patients experienced resolution after the end of the study but before the age of 1 year [4].

    • Pickwell’s Binocular Vision Anomalies

      2021, Pickwell's Binocular Vision Anomalies
    • Surgical outcomes after unilateral horizontal rectus surgery in children with infantile esotropia for the correction of A or V pattern

      2019, Journal Francais d'Ophtalmologie
      Citation Excerpt :

      However, discrepancies on when to perform surgery are reported throughout the world. For instance, In North America, the typical age at surgery ranges from 11 to 18 months, and in many parts of Western Europe, surgery is delayed until 2 to 4 years of age or even later, given the probability of spontaneous resolution in some cases of esotropia [19,20]. Some limitations have to be accounted, for instance the small sample studied.

    View all citing articles on Scopus

    Supported by a cooperative agreement from the National Eye Institute, Bethesda, MD: EY11751 and EY12107.

    1

    A complete list of the Investigator group is listed at the end of this article.

    2

    Address reprint requests to PEDIG Data Coordinating Center, Jaeb Center for Health Research, 3010 East 138th Avenue, Suite 9, Tampa, FL 33613; e-mail: [email protected]

    e1

    [email protected]

    View full text