How to Diagnose Esotropia

Esotropia is a type of eye misalignment where one eye looks forward and the other turns toward the nose. It is a common condition in newborns as less than one quarter of babies are born with both eyes facing straight ahead. The eyes normally come into the proper alignment over the next three months as the two eyes begin to work together. Here's how to diagnose esotropia.

Instructions

• 1

  Identify esotropia as a pathological condition. In some cases, esotropia is not self-correcting but actually becomes worse. Infantile esotropia normally develops over the first six months and affects about 1 percent of full-term newborns. It may occur during transient episodes, causing a delay in the diagnosis.

• 2

  Measure the alternate prism test to measure the angle of deviation in the eyes. An angle of deviation greater than 20 prism diopters is considered to be infantile esotropia. Patients that have a deviation between 20 and 40 have some chance of resolving the esotropia, but a deviation of greater than 40 prism diopters will rarely resolve itself.

• 3

  Check for amblyopia, which should be strongly suspected in cases of infantile esotropia, especially in the crossed eye.

• 4

  Check for additional ocular motor signs such as impaired binocularity, incomitance and scotomas. Patients that attain a nearly normal alignment within the first two years probably have normal sensory and motor functions.

• 5

  Look for additional underlying causes of infantile esotropia. It has been associated with a greater likelihood of craniofacial, neurologic and ocular abnormalities. A host of other problems also can cause esotropia.