Infantile Exotropia and Developmental Delay.

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Pediatric Surgery
• Developmental Pediatrics

Background:

• Infantile exotropia is a form of strabismus presenting in the first year of life.
• Long-term surgical outcomes and the necessity for neurological evaluations in these patients require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the long-term surgical outcomes of infantile exotropia.
• To determine the need for neurological evaluations in infants diagnosed with this condition.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective case series reviewed records of infants undergoing surgery for infantile exotropia.
• Data collected included preoperative findings, surgical treatment, and developmental and ophthalmic outcomes.
• Surgical success was defined as a horizontal deviation of less than 10 prism diopters (PD).

Main Results:

• Twenty-six infants (2-10 months old) with exotropia (20-95 PD) were analyzed.
• Ten patients (38%) had pre-existing developmental delays, often associated with systemic diagnoses.
• Surgical success was achieved in 38% after one surgery and 50% after a second surgery, with a mean follow-up of 7 years.

Conclusions:

• Infantile exotropia may necessitate more surgical interventions compared to other childhood strabismus types.
• Most children achieve satisfactory eye alignment with one or two surgeries.
• Developmental delays are common but typically identified early; routine neurological screening is not indicated for otherwise normal infants.