Infantile exotropia with homonymous hemianopia: a rare contraindication for strabismus surgery

A homonymous hemianopia can be compensated by a strabismus in the direction of the visual field defect if the deviated eye has a harmonious anomalous localization. This compensation is only partial; its extent corresponds to the angle of deviation. We report on two patients with a hemianopia to the left. Under binocular conditions the visual field defect was reduced by an exotropia of the left eye with panoramic vision. Unfortunately, up to now it has not been possible to induce such a sensory-motor compensation in cases of homonymous hemianopia with normal retinal correspondence in an adult visual system.