Pearls and pitfalls in the management of Duane syndrome

Duane Retraction Syndrome With Mechanical and Innervational Upshoot and Secondary Superior Rectus Contracture: A Surgical Challenge

Duane retraction syndrome (DRS) with mechanical and innervational upshoot poses a surgical challenge. We discuss a case of DRS with mechanical and innervational upshoot and its surgical management. An 11-year-old boy presented with left eye upward deviation since birth. This deviation was worst on the right gaze. His best corrected visual acuity was 6/6 OD and 6/60 OS. Refraction showed low hyperopia with low astigmatism in both eyes. Stereoacuity was absent and there was suppression on the Worth 4 dot test in the left eye. The left eye had large hypertropia of 50 prism diopter in primary gaze. Extraocular movements showed severe upshoot and narrowing of palpebral fissures on adduction and limited abduction (-2). The patient underwent Y-splitting of the left lateral rectus (LR) muscle of 10 mm, LR recession of 4 mm, and left eye superior rectus recession of 12 mm. A marked reduction in hypertropia in primary gaze was observed on day one and at two months postoperatively with residual upshoot on adduction. His left eye deviation remained stable after six months postoperatively.

Variant types of Duane retraction syndrome: synergistic divergences and convergences

PURPOSE

To present the clinical features of 4 patients with Duane retraction syndrome characterized by synergistic divergence or convergence, abnormal vertical movements, and accessory fibrotic bands.

METHODS

The medical records of 4 patients were reviewed retrospectively for the following clinical manifestations: visual acuity, refraction, ocular alignments, ocular motility, head position, magnetic resonance imaging, surgical techniques, and outcomes.

RESULTS

All 4 cases were diagnosed as variants of Duane retraction syndrome. Two cases (cases 1 and 2) had synergistic divergence with unilateral adduction deficit, and 2 (cases 3 and 4) had synergistic convergence with bilateral abduction deficit. Case 2 manifested abnormal vertical movements of the right eye, which goes down with adduction of the left eye and goes up oppositely with abduction of left eye. Accessory fibrotic bands were detected beside the medial rectus muscle of both eyes in case 3. Synergistic convergence in case 4 occurred only after the first strabismus surgery. Weakening of the misinnervated horizontal rectus muscle improved ocular alignment and head position in cases 1, 3, and 4.

CONCLUSIONS

Synergistic divergence and convergence are extremely rare and may present with a great diversity of clinical features. A good outcome is very difficult to achieve; however, weakening of the misinnervated horizontal rectus muscle was therapeutic in these patients.

Imaging of congenital cranial dysinnervation disorders: What radiologist wants to know?

We aim to review the imaging features of congenital cranial dysinnervation disorders. Characteristic imaging findings can define subtypes of these disorders through assessment of cranial nerves, extraocular muscles, orbital, and brain abnormalities. Duane retraction syndrome shows absent or hypoplasic 6th cranial nerve and preserved extraocular muscles (EOM). Mobius syndrome shows absent 7th and 6th cranial nerves, absence of facial colliculus, flattening of the dorsal aspect of the pons, hypoplasia of the pons and medulla, and flattening of the 4th ventricular floor. Congenital fibrosis of the extraocular muscles reveals unilateral or bilateral hypoplasia or aplasia of the 3rd cranial nerve, atrophy of superior rectus and levator palpebrae superioris muscles, and atrophy of the brainstem and cerebellar hemispheres. Horizontal gaze palsy and progressive scoliosis show characteristic split pons sign, butterfly medulla, absent facial colliculi, and spinal scoliosis. HOXA1 Mutations show a bilateral absence of 6th cranial nerves with the underdeveloped inner ear. Pontine Cap Tegmental Dysplasia shows ventral pontine hypoplasia, dorsal tegmental projection into the 4th ventricle, and variable cranial nerve deficits.

Superior Rectus Transposition With Medial Rectus Recession Versus Medial Rectus Recession in Esotropic Duane Retraction Syndrome

PURPOSE

To compare the results of augmented superior rectus transposition (with or without medial rectus recession) with simple medial rectus recession in the treatment of patients with esotropic Duane retraction syndrome.

METHODS

This was a prospective, randomized, and interventional comparative study of 20 patients with esotropic type 1 Duane retraction syndrome. Patients were randomly divided into two groups. In the first group (superior rectus transposition group), superior rectus transposition with or without medial rectus recession was performed. In the second group (non-superior rectus transposition group), unilateral medial rectus recession was performed.

RESULTS

Each group included 10 patients. Esotropia improved from 20.4 prism diopters (PD) preoperatively to 0.6 PD postoperatively in the superior rectus transposition group and from 22.5 PD preoperatively to 0.9 PD postoperatively in the non-superior rectus transposition group. Face turn improved from 11.5° preoperatively to 0.5° postoperatively in the superior rectus transposition group and from 12° preoperatively to 1.5° postoperatively in the non-superior rectus transposition group. Abduction improved in the superior rectus transposition group from -3.9 preoperatively to -3.1 postoperatively and from -3.9 preoperatively to -3.6 postoperatively in the non-superior rectus transposition group. Vertical deviation developed in two cases in the superior rectus transposition group.

CONCLUSIONS

Both superior rectus transposition and medial rectus recession are effective in the elimination of esotropia and face turn in patients with esotropic Duane retraction syndrome. Superior rectus transposition is more effective in improving abduction, but it can be complicated by vertical deviation. [J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 2020;57(5):309-318.].

Surgical outcome of patients with unilateral exotropic Duane retraction syndrome

PURPOSE

To describe the clinical features and surgical outcomes of patients with unilateral exotropic Duane retraction syndrome (DRS).

METHODS

The medical records of patients with unilateral exotropic DRS who underwent surgery between March 2015 and February 2018 were reviewed retrospectively.

RESULTS

A total of 40 patients (mean age, 18.75 ± 12.54 years; 21 males [53%]) were included. In 28 patients (70%) the left eye was involved. All patients had globe retraction and head turn toward the opposite side of the affected eye. Remarkable upshoot/downshoot movement was detectable in 11 patients (28%). The mean deviation for near and distance improved from 24.37^Δ ± 12.34^Δ (range, 6^Δ-77^Δ) and 19.67^Δ ± 10.76^Δ (range, 4^Δ-60^Δ) to 4.25^Δ ± 8.61^Δ (range, 0^Δ-50^Δ) and 2.62^Δ ± 6.15^Δ (range, 0^Δ-35^Δ) after the first surgery (P <0.001 for near and far deviation). Mean postoperative follow-up was 7.82 ± 9.45 months. Two patients required reoperation. Different types of surgeries, including lateral rectus recession (with or without Y-splitting), lateral and medial rectus recession (with or without Y-splitting of the lateral rectus muscle), bilateral lateral rectus recession, and lateral rectus recession with vertical rectus nasal transposition were performed. Twenty-four patients (60%) were successfully treated with only a single recession of the ipsilateral lateral rectus muscle. The mean lateral rectus recession was 7.45 ± 0.73 mm (range, 6-8.5 mm), and the mean dose-response for lateral rectus recession was 2.79^Δ ± 0.64^Δ/mm for near and 2.45^Δ ± 0.67^Δ/mm for distance.

CONCLUSIONS

Simple lateral rectus recession (with or without Y-splitting), even in the presence of significant deviation (through 35^Δ), seems to be a successful procedure for management of patients with unilateral exotropic DRS.

Management of Duane retraction syndrome: A simplified approach

Duane retraction (or co-contraction) syndrome is a congenital restrictive strabismus which can occur either as an isolated entity or in conjunction with other congenital anomalies and is now listed as a congenital cranial dysinnervation disorder. It is characterized by co-contraction of horizontal recti on attempted adduction causing globe retraction along with variable amounts of upshoots or downshoots. It may have limited abduction or adduction or both and present as esotropic, exotropic, or orthotropic Duane. The diagnosis of this disease is usually clinical. However, recent research has provided a greater insight into the genetic basis of this disease paving a way for a greater role of genetics in the diagnosis and management. This disease can have a varied presentation and hence the treatment plan should be tailor-made for every patient. The indications for surgery are abnormal head posture, deviations in the primary position, retraction and narrowing of palpebral aperture and up- or downshoots during adduction, and sometimes also to improve abduction. The arrival of newer surgical techniques of periosteal fixation (PF) of lateral rectus (LR), partial vertical rectus transposition, or superior or inferior rectus transposition in addition to LR recession with Y-split has vastly improved the management outcomes, providing not only primary position orthophoria but also increased binocular visual fields as well.