[Long-Term Follow-up of Age-related Strabismus Patients 50 Years-old and Over].

PURPOSE: To characterize age-related strabismus by long term observation.

METHODS

Clinical Characteristics were collected at two institutions from patients 50 years-old and over with age-related strabismus, who complained of diplopia and were followed up longer than 2 years without surgical intervention.

RESULTS

The cohort consisted of one case of near exotropia (convergence insufficiency, exotropia angle at near was 11.3 degrees), eight cases of distance esotropia (divergence insufficiency, average esotropia angle at distance was 5.8 degrees), and 15 cases of hypertropia (average hypertropia angle at distance was 3.6 degrees). In 14 patients more than one year passed from the onset of diplopia to date of visiting one of the two clinics. The strabismus angle slowly increased (0.3 per year in average; Wicoxon signed-rank test, p < 0.01). 17 patients successfully used prism incorporated glasses. Diplopia was intermittent at first and became more frequent in most cases. Hypertropic patients often showed extorsion of the lower eye.

CONCLUSION

Age-related strabismus eyes slowly develop diplopia and very slowly get worse in deviation angle. Prism incorporated glasses are useful in this condition.