Acquired oculomotor muscle fibrosis in infant: case report

Carlos Ramos de Souza-Dias1, Mauro Goldchmit, Carlos Fumiaki Uesugui

  • 1Ophthalmology Department, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Santa Casa de Misericórdia de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. csdias@uol.com.br

Insights

This case study details a complex strabismus surgery in a 5-year-old boy with a deviated right eye. Multiple surgical interventions successfully corrected eye alignment and improved function.

Area of Science:

  • Ophthalmology
  • Pediatric Ophthalmology
  • Strabismus Surgery

Background:

  • A 5-year-old boy presented with progressive upward and lateral deviation of his right eye, starting at age 2.
  • The patient experienced significant infraduction limitation and had a history of unsuccessful strabismus surgery.

Observation:

  • Surgical findings included difficulty hooking the superior rectus muscle and passive infraduction limitation.
  • Initial surgery involved superior rectus tenotomy and lateral rectus recession.
  • Subsequent operations included medial rectus resection, inferior oblique transposition, inferior rectus advancement, and blepharoptosis repair.

Findings:

  • Postoperative results showed improved eye alignment with residual mild hypertropia and exotropia.
  • Final assessment revealed good eye position, minimal horizontal movement limitation, and a -3 limitation in vertical ductions.
  • Magnetic resonance imaging suggested superior rectus fibrosis secondary to myositis.

Implications:

  • This case highlights the challenges in managing complex strabismus with muscle fibrosis.
  • A multi-stage surgical approach can achieve functional and cosmetic improvements in challenging pediatric cases.
  • Early diagnosis and management of underlying myositis may be crucial for better outcomes in similar cases.