Childhood Stroke and Vision: A Review of the Literature

OBJECTIVE

Here we review the current literature regarding visual outcome after perinatal and childhood stroke.

BACKGROUND

Visual deficits following stroke in adults are common and have been previously reviewed. Less is known about visual deficits following stroke in neonates and older children. Most of the literature regarding this subject has focused on preterm infants, or on other types of brain injury. This review summarizes the types of visual deficits seen in term infants following perinatal stroke and children following childhood stroke and predictors of outcome. This review suggests areas for future research.

METHODS

We performed Ovid MEDLINE searches regarding visual testing in children, vision after childhood stroke, neuroplasticity of vision, treatment of visual impairment after stroke, and driving safety concerns after stroke.

RESULTS

Visual field defects were the most commonly reported visual deficits after perinatal and childhood stroke. There is a significant lack of literature on this subject, and most is in the form of case reports and case series. Children can experience significant visual morbidity after stroke, and have the potential to show some recovery, but guidelines on assessment and treatment of this population are lacking.

CONCLUSIONS

There were limitations to this study, given the small amount of literature available. Although stroke in children can result in severe visual deficits, most children regain at least a portion of their vision. However, more research is needed regarding visual assessment of this population, long-term visual outcomes, specific predictors of recovery, and treatment options.

Four impacted permanent canines: an unusual case

Impacted permanent canines in a child, particularly in the maxilla, pose a functional as well as an esthetic concern for the patient and parents alike. Informing the parties involved that all the permanent canines are impacted is, needless to say, a distressful dilemma for the parents and a unique challenge for the orthodontist. The response to the treatment in this case was quite acceptable. All 4 canines were properly aligned with the aid of orthodontic traction and surgical assistance, and now the patient possesses confidence to smile and has enhanced self-esteem. There is no additional cost or burden of prosthesis for the parents, since all 4 impacted canines were successfully positioned, and all are natural and beautiful teeth. The root resorption that occurred may have been the result of the long treatment time or the result of root movement during incisor uprighting, both of which have been associated with this phenomenon. As in many of these cases, proper gingival contours of one of the orthodontically erupted mandibular canines was a problem and may require the service of a periodontist.

Impacted maxillary central incisor in mixed dentition treatment

The impacted maxillary central incisor in a child poses a disturbing esthetic dilemma to parents, by virtue of its location. Neither the orthodontist nor the parents prefer to wait for the fully erupted permanent dentition and comprehensive orthodontics to resolve this problem. This challenge can be met in the early mixed dentition stage, as described with these two cases. The response to the technique was excellent. The patients now possess confidence to smile and have enhanced self-esteem, which is critical even in early life. Just as important is that the newly positioned maxillary central incisor is the natural tooth, not a temporary prosthesis that can loosen or break. Gingival contour is a consideration, however.

Traumatically intruded teeth

Various combinations of orthodontic force, luxation, and observation are applied to 12 teeth traumatically intruded in 3 large dogs. All showed root resorption to some degree. Early orthodontic repositioning, with luxation if immobile, produced the best recovery.