RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Patients, most of whom are in their 8th decade of life, can suffer from a minimal acquired esotropia. They complain of blurred vision instead of diplopia due to their confusion. This is accompanied with the risk that the investigation covers only monocular disturbances. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Of 39 such patients, 22 underwent surgery while 10 were fitted with prisms. Another 3 recovered spontaneously and became, therefore, classified as VIth nerve palsies although no limitation of the abduction could be stated. Four patients refused any therapy, and 2 of them recovered in the course of many years. RESULTS: After 2 to 7 years, the individuals corrected with prisms were still compensated while within the operated cohort 3 had a recurrence after years. CONCLUSIONS: In almost all cases the prescription of separate glasses for distance with about 3 Delta base out on either side compensates the deviation for several years. In surgical units one finds a summation of chronically decompensated patients with obvious diplopia who need a bimedial recession. Lateral rectus resections are not appropriate as they lead to actual overabduction and final recurrence as well.