Publication:

Strabismus in paediatric age (3-16 year): a clinical study

Background Strabismus is a clinical condition in which the eyes are not aligned with each other properly. The main objective of the study was to study the prevalence, aetiology and the most common type of strabismus in children between 3- 16 years of age.

Methods This was a prospective study conducted from November 2012 to October 2014 at Government regional eye hospital Visakhapatnam. A total of 50 patients included in this study. Children between 3-16 years of age presenting with squint included in this study. All children below 3years and above 16 years excluded from this study. Detailed history regarding the complaint, birth history, developmental history was taken. Patients were thoroughly evaluated for Visual acuity, both distance and near vision with naked eye as well as best corrected visual acuity. Thorough anterior segment evaluation using slit lamp, cycloplegic refraction using atropine ( 7 years), fundus examination was don.

Results A total of 9678 children attended GREH during the period of the study. Among them total number of children with strabismus was 59.Thus the prevalence of strabismus is 0.6%. Children in the age group of 3-10 years of age are more involved 37 (62.7%).   Exotropia was seen in 34 cases and esotropia in 24 cases. Commitant esotropia was more common, seen in 16 (27.1%) of cases. In exotropia commitant exotropia was more common, seen in 32 cases and incommitant in 2 cases and divergence excess seen in 9 cases.  History of consanguinity present in 22% of cases.

Conclusions Prevalence of squint in children in 3 - 16 years age group was 0.6%. Commitant squint was more common than incommitant squint. Among commitant squint, exotropia was more common than esotropia. More research is needed to validate the role of consanguinity in strabismus.