Abstract
Ocular flutter is characterized by intermittent bursts of horizontal saccades lacking an intersaccadic interval. Similar saccadic bursts are called opsoclonus when they are directed not only horizontally, but also vertically and torsionally. Although the precise mechanisms are unknown, ocular flutter and opsoclonus are often observed in cerebellar and/or brainstem lesions. The causes of ocular flutter and opsoclonus are varied and include para-infectious brainstem encephalitis, metabolic toxic states, demyelinating diseases, and paraneoplastic syndrome (neuroblastoma in children, and small cell lung carcinoma in adults). Paraneoplastic, para-infectious, and idiopathic ocular flutter/opsoclonus are sometimes treated with steroids or intravenous immunoglobulin.
