Increasing incidence and risk factors for divergence insufficiency esotropia

Characteristics and Surgical Outcomes of Comitant Esotropia in an Adult Population Between 18 and 60 Years Old

PURPOSE

To describe the clinical characteristics and surgical outcomes of adults with comitant nonaccommodative esotropia.

DESIGN

Retrospective case series.

METHODS

Retrospective review of medical records of patients 18 to 60 years old with comitant esotropia who underwent strabismus surgery at a tertiary eye care center between 2014 and 2023. The etiology of esotropia was categorized into three groups based on the disparity between near-distance angles of deviation: (1) basic esotropia (ETBA); (2) esotropia divergence insufficiency pattern; or (3) esotropia convergence excess pattern. The main outcome measures were strabismus characteristics and motor and sensory surgical outcomes. Surgical motor success was defined as a deviation that measured ≤10 prism diopters (PD).

RESULTS

Of the 219 that met the inclusion criteria, most patients were female (140, 64%) and had a mean age of 36.7 ± 12.3 years (range 18-60 years). The majority were myopic (157, 72%) and reported diplopia (176/219, 80.3%). The esotropia convergence excess pattern group had the largest mean deviations at both distance (45.5 ± 11.5 PD) and near (64 ± 12.3 PD) while the ETBA group had the largest ranges at distance (31 ± 13.5 PD, range 3-90) and near (30 ± 15 PD, range 2-85). Bilateral medial rectus recession and unilateral recess-resect procedures were performed with equal frequency (both 48%). Motor and sensory success were achieved more often with recess-resect than bilateral medial rectus recession, although only motor success was statistically significant (87.8% vs. 73.2%, P = .0375 and 93.3% vs. 85.5%, P = 15, respectively). At the last encounter, 88.1% (119/135) of patients with preoperative diplopia achieved single binocular vision.

CONCLUSIONS

Regardless of the pattern of esotropia, strabismus surgery in adults with comitant nonaccommodative esotropia resulted in good motor and sensory outcomes.

Prevalence and clinical characteristics of age-related distance esotropia

Age-related distance esotropia (ARDET) is characterized by an esodeviation greater at distance than near in older aged patients and generally managed with prism spectacles or surgery. The purpose of this study is to describe the prevalence, clinical characteristics, and natural history of age-related distance esotropia in a defined population. The medical records of all adult (≥19 years of age) residents of Olmsted County, Minnesota, diagnosed with an esodeviation at least 2 prism diopters (PD) greater at distance than near, from 1 January 1985, through 31 December 2004, were retrospectively reviewed. Seventy-three (9.7%) of 751 new cases of adult-onset strabismus were diagnosed with age-related distance esotropia during the 20-year period. The mean age of onset was 70 years (range, 19 to 93 years) and 48 (65.8%) were female (p = .007). The mean angle of esodeviation was 7.6 (range, 2 to 20) prism diopters (PD) at distance and 0.4 (range, 10 PD of XT to 12 PD of ET) PD at near. The Kaplan-Meier rate of progression, as defined by a ≥ 6 prism diopter (PD) increase in esotropia, was 50% by 15 years after diagnosis. Half of the patients had hypertension, while one-third had coronary artery disease or other cardiac comorbidities. Age-related distance esotropia comprised 1 in 10 adults with new-onset strabismus in this population and was significantly more common among women. Hypertension and cardiovascular disease may be risk factors for this form of strabismus, and approximately half of the patients worsened over a 15-year period.