[Ocular findings associated with hypertelorism].

PURPOSE: To show that in hypertelorism (a horizontal orbital dystopia in which interorbital distance is increased) there are various ophthalmologic abnormalities associated: strabismus, nystagmus, amblyopia, refractive errors, palpebral malpositions, lacrimal system imperforation, fundoscopic and anterior segment lesions. We want to show that the frequence and severity of ophthalmic findings are associated to the severity of hypertelorism. But the evolution and treatment of ocular findings is independent from the treatment of this orbital dystopia.

METHODS

We have studied 12 cases of hypertelorism. We made a previous ophthalmologic examination which included: visual acuity, ocular motility, cycloplegic refraction, palpebral statics, lacrimal system, slit lamp and fundoscopic examination. All four walls of each orbit are osteotomized to free them from the frontal, zygomatic, maxillary, nasal and sphenoid bones in surgical correction of hypertelorism.

RESULTS

Amblyopia and strabismus appeared in 58.3% of patients each of them, being exotropias the most common. The most frequent refractive error was hypermetropia (40%). Other ocular findings were: ptosis, lacrimal system impermeability, heterochromic iris, optic disk hypoplasia and enophthalmos. None of the deffects was modified after surgical correction of hypertelorism.

CONCLUSIONS

Ophthalmologic findings associated with hypertelorism are not caused by the deformity. They are more frequent as higher the severity of the hypertelorism is. The ocular findings do not modify after surgical treatment of hypertelorism, except if we treat them specifically.