Disorder - Strabismus

Organ Systems Involved
Nervous/sensory

Alternative Names
Tropia; Squint; Esotropia; Exotropia; Hypertropia; Hypotropia

Presenting Signs

Strabismus is a condition where the eyes do not point in the same direction. One or both eyes can be affected and can either face inward towards the nose (esotropia), outwards away from the nose (exotropia), upward (hypertropia) or downward (hypotropia). The position of the eye within the socket is usually normal; it is just the direction of the eye that has changed. Congenital (or present at birth) strabismus can be due to abnormalities in the development of the eye itself, the muscles of the eye or the brain. Strabismus is often accompanied by a horizontal flickering of the eye. This is called wandering nystagmus and is often seen in Siamese, Himalayan and Persians cats born with convergent strabismus, or inward crossed eyes. In addition, cats with convergent strabismus often have decreased slow eye movements. They may also be less able than normal cats to make an adequate image of a moving object and to coordinate movement (termed optokinetic nystagmus).

PubMed References
Strabismus

Contributor
Miriam Boe