Hereditary wide angle exotropia in a nigerian family

To present a report of a Nigerian family with wide angle exotropia resulting in amblyopia.

A family of two wives and 12 children from Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria were interviewed and examined at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City with the aid of a Snellen's chart, pen torch, slit lamp biomicroscope, ophthalmoscope and the pulsair non-contact tonometer.

There was 450 exotropia in the right eye of the 72 year old father, his 36 year old son, his 22 years old daughter and their 24 year old half sister. There was restriction of ocular motility in the right eye medially and some degree of amblyopia in the right eye of all the patients. The father and his 22 years old daughter were myopic of between -4.00 and -6.00 dioptre sphere but the son and his 24 years old half sister had -0.75 and -1.00 dioptre sphere myopia respectively. None of them presented to hospital because of the strabismus.

This report highlights the need to screen family members of patients with squint in order to detect the condition early and prevent amblyopia.