Inferior oblique recession associated to partial temporal inferior rectus recession in unilateral congenital superior oblique palsy

PURPOSE

To evaluate the effectiveness of inferior oblique recession with contralateral partial temporal inferior rectus recession in patients with decompensated congenital unilateral superior oblique palsy (SOP) in correcting moderate vertical deviations in primary position.

METHODS

The medical records of patients with SOP who underwent inferior oblique recession with contralateral partial temporal inferior rectus recession were reviewed retrospectively. Vertical deviation in primary position, subjective torsion, diplopia, residual deviation, and the deviation decrease were evaluated.

RESULTS

Four patients (three males and one female, age range 29-56 years) with congenital unilateral SOP and mean vertical deviation of 21.0 ± 5.3PD (range 14-25D) in primary position were included. Mean correction of hypertropia in primary position with this technique was 15.5 ± 5.3PD (range 10-20PD). The mean hypertropia on gaze to the contralateral side changed from 30.0 ± 10.8D before surgery to 9.3 ± 7.9D after surgery. Torsion had a mean change of 4.8° of incyclodeviation. Preoperatively, all patients had head tilt and diplopia, which was resolved in all but one patient, who will need surgery. Patients were followed an average of 18 months. No adverse events were reported in any subjects.

CONCLUSION

When performing recession of inferior oblique muscles in SOP associated to a full recession of the contralateral inferior rectus, there is a risk of overcorrection in those with moderate angles. Performing a partial recession in the contralateral inferior rectus eye corrected up to 20PD in primary position in our series, reducing this risk.

Two cases of acquired bilateral trochlea nerve palsy treated by simultaneous inferior rectus muscle nasal transposition and inferior oblique muscle myectomy

Purpose

To report two cases of acquired bilateral trochlea nerve palsy with large torsional deviation successfully treated by simultaneous bilateral inferior rectus muscle (IR) nasal transposition and inferior oblique muscle (IO) myectomy.

Observations

Case 1 was of a 54-year-old man with torsional diplopia after a traffic accident. He showed 32° and 38° excyclotorsion in the primary and downward gazes, respectively. Case 2 was of a 56-year-old woman with torsional diplopia after a brain tumor operation. She showed 25° and 33° excyclotorsion in the primary and downward gazes, respectively. We simultaneously performed bilateral IR nasal transposition and IO myectomy in these two cases. Postoperatively, case 1 presented with improved excyclotorsion, with 2° and 7° excyclotorsion in the primary and downward gazes, respectively; case 2 similarly presented with improved excyclotorsion, with 4° and 12° excyclotorsion in the primary and downward gazes, respectively.

Conclusions and importance

Simultaneous bilateral IR nasal transposition and IO myectomy are effective for treating large-angle torsional deviations, especially in downward gaze, requiring only one operation. A new surgical approach is suggested for the successful treatment of large torsional deviations, requiring only one operation.

Comparative study of unilateral versus bilateral inferior oblique recession/anteriorization in unilateral inferior oblique overaction

PURPOSE

To compare the effect of, and the rate of subsequent development of iatrogenic antielevation syndrome after, unilateral versus bilateral inferior oblique graded recession-anteriorization to treat unilateral inferior oblique overaction.

METHODS

Thirty-four patients with unilateral inferior oblique overaction were included in a randomized prospective study. Patients were equally divided into 2 groups. Group UNI underwent unilateral, group BI bilateral, inferior oblique graded recession-anteriorization. A successful outcome was defined as orthotropia, or within 2 ∆ of a residual hypertropia, in the absence of signs of antielevation syndrome, residual inferior oblique overaction, V-pattern, dissociated vertical deviation, or ocular torticollis.

RESULTS

A successful outcome was achieved in 11 (64.7%) and 13 (76.5%) patients in groups UNI and BI, respectively (p = 0.452). Antielevation syndrome was diagnosed as the cause of surgical failure in 6 (35.3%) and 2 (11.8%) patients, in groups UNI and BI, respectively (p = 0.106). The cause of surgical failure in the other 2 patients in group BI was due to persistence of ocular torticollis and hypertropia in a patient with superior oblique palsy and a residual V-pattern and hypertropia in the other patient.

CONCLUSIONS

The differences between unilateral and bilateral inferior oblique graded recession-anteriorization are insignificant. Unilateral surgery has a higher tendency for the subsequent development of antielevation syndrome. Bilateral surgery may still become complicated by antielevation syndrome, although at a lower rate. In addition, bilateral surgery had a higher rate of undercorrection. Further studies on a larger sample are encouraged.

Evaluation of Surgical Strategy Based on the Intraoperative Superior Oblique Tendon Traction Test

Purpose

To clarify the efficacy of a surgical strategy based on the superior oblique tendon traction test.

Methods

A retrospective chart review was performed between January 2002 and June 2015. During that period, a single inferior oblique muscle (IO) myectomy and a combined IO myectomy and superior oblique muscle (SO) tuck procedure were performed based on SO tendon looseness as revealed by a traction test. The surgical effects of both procedures and the number of operations were analyzed.

Results

Sixty-five cases were retrieved. Seventy-four surgeries were required. The IO myectomy and simultaneous groups included 48 and 17 cases, respectively. Pre-operative vertical deviation was significantly lower in the IO myectomy (11.8 prism diopters) than in the simultaneous (27.2 prism diopters; Mann–Whitney U-test, P < 0.001) group. The mean induced changes were 9.4 prism diopters and 21.6 prism diopters in the IO myectomy and simultaneous groups, respectively, and the postoperative vertical deviation was not significantly different. On average, 1.13 and 1.18 surgeries per patient were performed in the IO myectomy and simultaneous groups, respectively.

Conclusion

The simultaneous surgery of inferior oblique myectomy and superior oblique tuck is safe and effective for treating large angle of congenital/idiopathic superior oblique palsy with a lax superior oblique tendon, as determined by the traction test.

Anomalous head posture related to visual problems

The cause of the anomalous head posture (AHP) has been mainly assigned to ocular, orthopedic, and neurologic causes. The AHP can take the form of head tilt, face turn, chin up, chin down, or combined, depending on the specific etiology. However, there are many variations, and the type of the head posture cannot reliably predict the underlying cause. Ocular AHP is usually an attempt to improve visual acuity or binocularity. Since the etiology is not always obvious, we stress that these patients must be carefully evaluated by ophthalmologists. Our effort here is to offer the neurologist a thorough insight in the specific head posture pattern primarily related to visual disorders.

Horizontal misalignment in patients with unilateral superior oblique palsy

PURPOSE

To determine the frequency and distribution of horizontal misalignment in patients with unilateral superior oblique palsy (SOP) and to determine the indications for combining horizontal with vertical strabismus surgery.

METHODS

Patients included in the study had a vertical heterophoria or tropia that fit Parks three-step test for SOP and had no previous strabismus surgery or other ocular motility disturbance. Ocular motility and alignment were recorded. Outcomes between patients who had vertical surgery alone and those who had combined vertical and horizontal surgery were compared using the Student's t test.

RESULTS

Of 205 patients, 121 (59.0%) had a horizontal misalignment in addition to vertical strabismus. Ninety-six patients (46.8%) required strabismus surgery. Of these, 29 had 8 prism diopters (PD) or more horizontal deviation. Twenty-two had vertical combined with horizontal surgery (V+H group). Although their initial deviation was greater, these patients had better surgical outcomes than patients who had vertical surgery alone (V group). The V+H group had a final mean horizontal deviation of 2.18 PD compared with 6.85 PD in the V group (P < .01). Postoperative vertical alignment in the V+H group was also superior with a final mean vertical deviation of 3.7 versus 6.8 PD for the V group (P = .12).

CONCLUSION

These results indicate that horizontal misalignment is common in patients with SOP. Patients with 8 PD or more horizontal deviation benefited from surgical correction of the horizontal deviation in addition to the vertical surgery.