Treatment of manifest latent nystagmus

Eight patients with manifest latent nystagmus, as noted by ocular movement recordings, were examined for nystagmus reduction after surgical or optical treatment. Seven of the patients had strabismus. Five patients underwent strabismus surgery, had no tropia postoperatively, and the manifest latent nystagmus converted to latent nystagmus. Four of these five patients subsequently showed improvement in binocular visual acuity. Three patients received optical treatment; one had accommodative esotropia and, with appropriate spectacle correction, the manifest latent nystagmus was converted to latent nystagmus with improved vision. In the other two patients the manifest latent nystagmus lessened after correction with appropriate spectacles; binocular visual acuity of one of these patients improved. The possibility of converting manifest latent nystagmus to latent nystagmus by strabismus surgery is a reasonable surgical goal. In patients with manifest latent nystagmus and strabismus, surgical or optical alignment of the eyes decreases the nystagmus intensity and may also improve binocular visual acuity.