Abstract
Purpose: To investigate the incidence of dissociated vertical deviation (DVD) and the age at detection in patients with exotropia.
Subjects and Methods: Among 401 patients who were under 15 years of age and diagnosed with exotropia at the Jichi Medical University Hospital between 1991 and 2000, 86 (21.4%) were detected with DVD by major amblyoscope and participated in this study. We investigated their age at detection.
Results: Of the 86 patients, 48 (55.8%) patients were detected with DVD at the initial examination and 38 (44.2%) were detected at a later examination. No significant differences in the mean age at onset, age at detection, and the initial horizontal deviation were seen between these two groups. However, the mean age at the initial visit and the age at the first major amblyoscopic examination were lower in the group detected at a later examination. Furthermore, in the group detected at a later examination, DVD in the patients with intermittent exotropia was detected at a later time than DVD in the patients with constant exotropia.
Conclusion: We considered that even after the initial detection of DVD in exotropia, repeated examinations were important during follow-up.
