Effect of refractive errors on the results of botulinum neurotoxin administration in patients with infantile esotropia.

PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of refractive errors on the results of patients followed up with infantile esotropia (IE) and treated with botulinum neurotoxin (BNT) injection. METHODS: The files of patients with IE who presented to the ophthalmology pediatric ophthalmology unit and underwent BNT injection into both medial rectus muscles between 2019 and 2021 were reviewed retrospectively. Sixty eyes of 30 patients were included in the study. Patients with additional systemic or ocular diseases and those with a history of ocular surgery were excluded. Distance and near deviations were measured (with the prism cover test or Krimsky method) before and at the first, third, and sixth months after BNT injection. RESULTS: In Group 1 (n = 20) with a spherical equivalent of + 2.0 diopters (D) or less, the mean near and distance deviation value was both 36.8 ± 12.7 prism diopter (PD) before injection. In Group 2 (n = 10) with a spherical equivalent of above + 2.0 D, the near deviation was measured as 35.0 ± 7.1 PD and distance deviation as 31.8 ± 7.9. At six months after BNT injection, the near and distance deviation values were 20.6 ± 12.3 and 20.6 ± 11.6 PD, respectively in Group 1 and 10.1 ± 10.3 and 8.8 ± 10.8 PD, respectively in Group 2. The change in deviation did not statistically significantly differ between the groups (p > 0.05), but the distance and near deviation values were lower in Group 2 at sixth months after BNT injection. CONCLUSIONS: BNT injection is a preferred method in IE. Higher hypermetropic values seem to increase the success of BNT injection.

Accommodative esotropia: the state of the art.

PURPOSE: To review the state of the art of Accommodative Esotropia (AE) through careful study of what has been reported up to the point in literature. METHODS: A literature search was done on PubMed using key words including "Accommodative esotropia", "Infantile esotropia", "Strabismus" and "Accommodation". We systematically reviewed and critically appraised what has been written about AE and we tried to analyze that according to the current management of AE. RESULTS: Accommodative Esotropia (AE) is a form of strabismus characterized by convergent misalignment of the visual axes that can be associated with hyperopia and abnormal fusional divergence. Also abnormal accommodative convergence/accommodation ratio could be found. In lots of cases, AE initially presents as an intermittent esodeviation at age 1.5 to 4 years. The prevalence of AE has been estimated near 1-2% in the United States. The only treatment with an optical correction usually is successful in re-establishing alignment, but surgical correction is necessary in approximately 30% of cases.

Objective ocular torsion outcomes after unilateral horizontal rectus surgery in infantile esotropia.

PURPOSE: To analyse objective ocular torsion among patients with infantile esotropia and to determine the effects of unilateral horizontal rectus surgery. METHODS: Sixty-eight patients (136 eyes) (range 4 to 16 years) who underwent unilateral horizontal rectus surgery for infantile esotropia participated in this retrospective single-centre study. Objective ocular torsion using fundus photography was assessed before surgery and 1 year later. We defined three groups of patients based on preoperative qualitative objective ocular torsion: physiological extorsion and pathological extorsion and intorsion. For each group, the disc-foveal angle was measured and analysed both before and after surgery. We looked for possible correlations between amount of esodeviation and disc-foveal angle size. RESULTS: Preoperatively, 28 (41%) patients had + 6.73 (± 2.66) degrees of physiological extorsion. Thirty-one (46%) patients had + 12.94 (± 3.67) degrees of pathological extorsion. Nine (13%) patients had - 1.99 (± 2.52) degrees of intorsion. After surgery, the number of subjects with physiological extorsion increased to 45 (66%). The number of patients with pathological extorsion decreased to 17 (25%) and the mean disc-foveal angle was significantly reduced by 1.80°. Six (9%) patients presented intorsion and the mean disc-foveal angle was significantly reduced by 2.28°. For the pathological extorsion group, the size of the disc-foveal angle before surgery was positively correlated to its reduction after surgery. Disc-foveal angle variation and distance esodeviation variation after surgery were positively correlated. CONCLUSIONS: These results highlight that pathological objective ocular torsion can be frequently found in infantile esotropia and is decreased after unilateral recession-plication surgery.

Outcome of early surgery in infantile esotropia: Our experience in tertiary care hospital.

BACKGROUND: Infantile esotropia is a convergent strabismus presenting before 6 months of age and is the most common strabismus disorder presenting in the ophthalmology OPD. The dilemma of whether to go for early surgery and how early has been a matter of research for the last 50 years. We describe our results of surgery in infantile esotropia at variable age groups, as well as with different reoperation rates and compare with the results in western literature. METHODS: A prospective study was carried out through a review of 113 cases operated for infantile esotropia between February 2013 and August 2014. The variables studied were: age at surgery, type of fixation, refractive error, associated nystagmus, inferior oblique overaction or dissociated vertical deviation (DVD), type of surgery performed and pre- and postoperative deviation angles. RESULTS: There were 67 male and 46 female cases of infantile esotropia. The age group of patients varied from 6 months to 12 years. Latent nystagmus was seen in 22 cases, inferior oblique overaction in 49 cases and DVD (mild) in 14 cases. Bimedial rectus recession was done in 78 cases and recession-resection in non-dominant eye in remaining 35 cases. The postoperative residual deviation was <10 PD in 102 cases, between 10 and 16 PD in 5 cases and more than 16 PD in 6 cases. Only 6 cases (5.3%) required reoperation for correction of residual deviation. CONCLUSION: The authors recommend surgery before 12 months in all cases of infantile esotropia. The reoperation rates in the current study were considerably low.

Treatment of Infantile Esotropia - Comparison Between Botulinum Toxin A and Bilateral Medial Rectus Recession.

Objectives: The objective of the study is to evaluate the examination findings, treatment methods, and follow-up results of children diagnosed with infantile esotropia (IE) and to compare botulinum toxin A (BTA) and bilateral medial rectus (MR) recession surgery. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients who were diagnosed with IE. The age of the patient and the angle of deviation were taken into account to determine the treatment. Patients who underwent bilateral MR recession surgery and BTA injection were analyzed and the BTA and surgical groups were compared. Successful correction was defined as orthotropia and a deviation of up to 10 prism diopters (PD) after one surgical procedure or 1-3 botulinum injections. Results: Two hundred and forty-six patients with esotropia were included in the study. Twelve were followed up with refractive correction only. BTA injection was administered to 110 patients, while 124 patients underwent bilateral MR recession. The age of the patients ranged from three to 39 months. Patients were followed for at least 6 months, with a mean follow-up of 24.3 months in the BTA group and 21.7 months in the surgical group (p=0.23). The mean pre-treatment angle deviation was 38.9 PD in the BTA group and 40.1 PD in the surgical group (p=0.62). The success rate for patients with more than 30 PD of deviation was 72% in the surgical group compared to 36% in the BTA group (p<0.001). No statistically significant difference in success rate was observed in patients with deviations <30 PD (surgery 62%, BTA 55%, p=0.26). Conclusion: Surgical treatment of IE was more successful than BTA injection in patients with large angle deviations (>30 PD). BTA injection can be considered as an alternative to surgery in cases of small to moderate angle deviations (<30 PD).

Evaluation of the efficacy of botulinum toxin injection for the treatment of infantile esotropia.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the outcomes and complications of botulinum toxin injection (BTX) as the primary treatment of infantile esotropia (IET). METHODS: We included patients with IET who underwent BTX from 2015 to 2020. IET was defined as esotropia present before 12 months of age, with no significant refractive error, or limitation of rotations. We defined success as a postoperative angle of 0-10 prism diopters (PD). RESULTS: Sixty-three patients met our inclusion criteria (38 male patients [60.3%]). The mean age was 18 ± 8 months (range: 10-26), onset 6 ± 4 months (range: 2-10), and follow-up of 29 ± 25 months (range: 4-54). Amblyopia was present in 45 patients (71.4%). Number of BTX was, 1 in 42 (66.7%), 2 in 17 (27%), 3 in 4 (4.8%), and 4 in 1 (1.6%). The 1st BTX mean dose was 7 ± 3 international unit (range: 4-10) and a mean duration of 4 ± 1 min (range: 3-5). The mean preoperative angle of deviation was 42.30 ± 13.73 PD. The mean postoperative angle of deviation was 16.07 ± 16.15 PD (P = 0.0001). At the final follow-up, BTX was successful in 32 (51%) (success after 1st BTX 33.3%, 2nd BTX 46.03%, and 3rd BTX 50.79%). Twelve patients (19%) had undergone surgery due to the failure of BTX. Postoperative observations included transient ptosis 29 (49.2%), transient exotropia 36 (57.14%), inferior oblique overaction 13 (20.6%), vertical deviation 8 (12.7%), and persistent ptosis 1 (1.6%). CONCLUSION: The success rate of BTX for IET was 51%. BTX can be offered as an alternative to surgery to those who cannot undergo prolonged anesthesia or where accurate measurements could not be obtained.

Occurrence and subsequent development of vertical deviations in patients treated surgically for infantile esotropia.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the onset of dissociated vertical deviation (DVD) and inferior oblique overaction (IOOA), their subsequent development, and their correlation with pre and postoperative parameters. Methods: Medical records of patients with infantile esotropia who underwent surgery between 2005 and 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. DVD and IOOA were measured before and after surgery. Patients were divided into two groups based on horizontal and vertical deviation at the time of presentation: those with infantile esotropia only (group A) and patients with infantile esotropia who developed vertical deviation (group B). Results: Out of a total of 102 patients, DVD occurrence was seen in 53 patients (51.9%) and IOOA was seen in 50 patients (48.04%). DVD was seen in 22 patients at the time of initial examination and in 31 patients postoperatively. IOOA at presentation was seen in 45 patients (44.1%) and 5 patients (8.8%) postoperatively. No statistical difference was found in the age of surgery, angle of deviation, mean follow-up, and mean refractive error within both groups. The postoperative motor outcome was statistically comparable between the two groups (P = 0.29). Sensory outcomes of fusion (P = 0.048) and stereopsis (P-value = 0.00063) were better in group A. Conclusion: No correlation was found between the age of occurrence and development of vertical deviation with refractive error, angle of deviation, age, or type of surgery. We found that motor outcomes are not affected but sensory outcomes are affected in patients with vertical deviations. This indicates that DVD and IOOA are developed due to inherent disruption of fusion and stereopsis.

Alterations of large-scale functional network connectivity in patients with infantile esotropia before and after surgery.

BACKGROUND: Growing evidences have indicated neurodevelopmental disorders in infantile esotropia (IE). However, few studies have analyzed the characteristics of large-scale functional networks of IE patients or their postoperative network-level alterations. METHODS: Here, individuals with IE (n = 32) and healthy subjects (n = 30) accomplished the baseline clinical examinations and resting-state MRI scans. A total of 17 IE patients also underwent corrective surgeries and completed the longitudinal clinical assessments and resting-state MRI scans. Linear mixed effects models were applied for cross-sectional and longitudinal network-level analyses. Correlation analysis was performed to assess the relationship between longitudinal functional connectivity (FC) alterations and baseline clinical variables. RESULTS: In cross-sectional analyses, network-level FC were apparently aberrant in IE patients compared to controls. In longitudinal analyses, intra- and internetwork connectivity were observed with significant alterations in postoperative IE patients compared to the preoperative counterparts. Longitudinal FC changes are negatively correlated to the age at surgery in IE. CONCLUSIONS: Obviously, altered network-level FC benefiting from the corrective surgery serves as the neurobiological substrate of the observed improvement of stereovision, visuomotor coordination, and emotional management in postoperative IE patients. Corrective surgery should be performed as early as possible to obtain more benefits for IE in brain function recovery.

Timing of surgery in essential infantile esotropia - What more do we know since the turn of the century?

This review summarizes the results and interpretations of studies pertaining to the long-standing debate regarding the timing of surgery in infantile esotropia, more recently referred to as essential infantile esotropia. A systematic search of studies from the year 2000 onward pertaining to the timing of surgery in infantile esotropia as listed in PubMed, Google Scholar, and the Cochrane database was performed. Appropriate cross-references from the articles were also included. Data collected included demographics, presentation, time of surgery, complications, and outcomes. Very early surgery, that is, within 6 months of the onset of infantile esotropia, offers significant advantages in terms of the quality of stereopsis and binocular vision as well as promoting the development of cortical visual processing, thereby benefiting cortical development in human infants. However, the postoperative alignment was not found to be significantly different in the very early, early, or late surgery groups. The reduction in the incidence of manifest dissociated vertical deviation postoperatively in the very early surgery group also showed measurable benefits. The results of this recent literature review demonstrated that very early surgery, within 6 months of misalignment, showed demonstrable benefits in essential infantile esotropia.

Factors Affecting the Efficacy of Botulinum Toxin Injection in the Treatment of Infantile and Partially Accommodative Esotropia.

PURPOSE: We aimed to investigate the effect of botulinum toxin (BT) injection on the treatment of infantile and partially accommodative esotropia (PAET). METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included patients who received BT injections for infantile and PAET between January 2015 and December 2018. Treatment was considered successful if orthotropia, consecutive exotropia, or esotropia within 10 prism diopters (PD) was achieved. RESULTS: The overall success rate was 47.4%, with a mean follow-up period of 27.8 months in 403 children. BT treatment was considered successful in 37.1% of cases of infantile esotropia and 53.1% of cases of partially accommodative esotropia. The average deviation angle before starting treatment was 35.5 ± 13.9 PD. Side effects 1 week after BT injections included transient overcorrection (63.8%) and transient ptosis (41.7%). There were no significant differences in the success rates between the different doses of BT (P = 0.69). The angle of deviation at presentation was significantly associated with the success rate of BT injection (failed group, mean: 38.1 ± 15.3 PD vs. success group, mean: 32.6 ± 11.6 PD; P < 0.001). Other factors associated with higher success rates were overcorrection at 1 week and PAET, while multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that a smaller angle of deviation and overcorrection (1 week after injection) were associated with a higher success rate. CONCLUSION: A smaller angle of deviation and transient overcorrection were associated with a higher success rate, and no significant difference was observed in the success rates of different BT doses.

Comparison of Dose Increments of Botulinum Toxin A with Surgery as Primary Treatment for Infantile Esotropia and Partially Accommodative Esotropia.

Purpose: To compare the effect of increment dose of botulinum toxin (BTX) injection in correlation to the angle of deviation to bilateral medial rectus recession (BMR) in infantile esotropia and partially accommodative esotropia (PAET). Methods: This was a retrospective study that included pediatric patients ≤16 years old with infantile esotropia and PAET at Dhahran Eye Specialist Hospital (DESH) from 2014 till 2021 treated with increment dose of BTX or BMR. A successful outcome is defined as ocular alignment within 10 PD of deviation after 1-3 BTX injections or one surgery with a minimum follow-up of 6 months. Results: Of 177 patients, 101 patients received BTX treatment for either infantile esotropia (n = 37) or PAET (n = 64) and 76 patients underwent BMR for either infantile ET (n = 25) or PAET (n = 51). BTX showed a higher success rate than BMR {65.3% vs 55.3% (p = 0.174)}. In patients with infantile esotropia, the success rate was comparable between BTX group and BMR group {40.5% vs 52% (p = 0.440)}. However, the success rate was statistically significantly higher in BTX group in compare to BMR group {79.7% vs 56.9% (p = 0.014)}. Consecutive exotropia was 0% in BTX group and 9.2% in BMR group (p = 0.002). Conclusion: The increment dose of BTX injection is comparable to surgery in patients with infantile esotropia but superior to the routine surgery in patients with PAET. BTX has the advantage of a shorter procedure duration, lower costs, less exposure to general anesthesia and being minimally invasive intervention.

Local structural-functional connectivity decoupling of caudate nucleus in infantile esotropia.

Abnormal brain structural and functional properties were demonstrated in patients with infantile esotropia (IE). However, few studies have investigated the interaction between structural and functional connectivity (SC-FC) in patients with IE. Structural network was generated with diffusion tensor imaging and functional network was constructed with resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging for 18 patients with IE as well as 20 age- and gender- matched healthy subjects. The SC-FC coupling for global connectome, short connectome and long connectome were examined in IE patients and compared with those of healthy subjects. A linear mixed effects model was employed to examine the group-age interaction in terms of the coupling metrics. The Pearson correlation between coupling measures and strabismus degree was evaluated in IE patients, on which the regulatory effect of age was also investigated through hierarchical regression analysis. Significantly decreased SC-FC coupling score for short connections was observed in left caudate nucleus (CAU) in IE patients, whereas no brain regions exhibited altered coupling metrics for global connections or long connections. The group-age interaction was also evident in local coupling metrics of left CAU. The age-related regulatory effect on coupling-degree association was distinguishing between brain regions implicated in visual processing and cognition-related brain areas in IE patients. Local SC-FC decoupling in CAU was evident in patients with IE and was initiated in their early postnatal period, possibly interfering the visual cortico-striatal loop and subcortical optokinetic pathway subserving visual processing and nasalward optokinesis during neurodevelopment, which provides new insight into underlying neuropathological mechanism of IE.

Infantile esotropia in a family with TUBB3 mutation associated congenital fibrosis of extraocular muscles.

BACKGROUND: The TUBB3 gene has been reported to be associated with type 3 congenital fibrosis of the extraocular muscles (CFEOM). The clinical features of CFEOM3 that are linked to TUBB3 mutations are diverse, ranging from mild ptosis and limitation of extraocular movement to severe ocular motility problems and central nervous system abnormalities. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a single retrospective case report. RESULT: This case report describes a patient with infantile esotropia, who had a heterozygous variant in TUBB3 c.904 G > A (p.A302T) known to cause CFEOM3 and her family members, who presented with manifestations associated with CFEOM3. CONCLUSION: Given the diverse clinical features of CFEOM3, the possibility of the occurrence of CFEOM3 should be considered when there is a congenital abnormality of extraocular muscle movement and a positive family history.

Abnormal developmental trends of functional connectivity in young children with infantile esotropia.

Previous studies have shown that functional networks are present at birth and change dynamically throughout infancy and early childhood. However, the status of functional connectivity is still poorly understood in patients with infantile esotropia (IE). The aim of this study is to investigate the developmental trends of functional connectivity in patients with IE during a critical period of growth and development. A total of 17 patients with IE (9 males and 8 females; mean age: 3.36 ± 2.03 years, age range: 0.67-6.36 years) and 20 healthy subjects matched for age and gender were recruited and underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. The whole-brain functional network connectivity was analyzed for the IE group and healthy control group. A general linear model was applied to assess the group-age interaction in terms of the functional connectivity. The discrepancy between the two groups in functional connectivity trajectories was also quantified across age and exhibited by the quadratic parabolic model. There were significant group-age interactions between the visual network and the default mode network, the visual network and the sensorimotor network, the limbic network and the default mode network, and within the limbic network in the functional connectivity. A U-shaped tendency across age, with an "inflection point" ranging from 3.1 to 4.0 years of age was exhibited in the difference between functional connectivity trajectories of the IE patients and normal controls. Abnormality in functional network connectivity could present in IE patients at birth, exhibiting aberrant developmental patterns over time. An abnormal functional network could reduce the ability of the cortex in visual information processing, further reactivating the subcortical visual information processing system, which is probably the pathogenesis of IE. Three to four years after birth is the critical time window for children with IE to establish normal network connections in the brain. Early surgery during this period may be helpful for affected children to have an opportunity to approach the normal development trajectory as early as possible.

Surgical outcomes and occurrence of associated vertical strabismus during a 10-year follow-up in patients with infantile esotropia.

PURPOSE: Authors analyzed long-term surgical outcomes of infantile esotropia and the occurrence of associated strabismus, inferior oblique overaction (IOOA), and dissociated vertical deviation (DVD). Clinical factors related to the occurrence of IOOA and DVD in patients with infantile esotropia were also evaluated. METHODS: Medical records of patients with infantile esotropia, who underwent surgery between 1995 and 2008, were reviewed retrospectively. Included patients were followed for at least 10 years. The incidence and age at development of IOOA and DVD were analyzed. To evaluate predisposing factors for developing IOOA or DVD, patients were divided into two groups: those with infantile esotropia only (group A) and those who developed IOOA or DVD (group B). RESULTS: A total of 122 patients were enrolled and mean follow-up period was 16.0 years (range: 10-32 years). The mean number of surgeries was 1.7 (range: 1-5), and 64 (52.5%) patients achieved optimal horizontal alignment (esotropia <10 prism diopters [PD] and orthotropia). Fifty (41.0%) patients developed IOOA at a median age of 3 years (range: 1-21 years); 54 (44.3%) developed DVD at a median age of 5 years (range: 1-25 years). Patients in group B underwent more horizontal surgeries than those in group A (P = 0.028), and favorable surgical outcomes between the two groups were not different at final visit. There were no other significant differences in clinical factors between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Approximately, 52.5% of patients achieved favorable surgical outcomes through 1.7 surgeries during the 10-year follow-up period. DVD tended to develop at a later age than IOOA, and in some cases, up to 20 years after diagnosis of infantile esotropia. To achieve favorable horizontal alignment at final visit, patients with associated vertical strabismus underwent more horizontal muscle surgeries than patients with infantile esotropia only. The presence of IOOA/DVD may affect horizontal alignment outcomes.

Essential Infantile Esotropia: A Course of Treatment From Our Experience.

Background: Essential infantile esotropia (EIE) is the most common type of childhood esotropia. Although its classical approach is surgical, less invasive techniques have been proposed as an adjunct or alternative to traditional surgery. Among them, chemodenervation with botulinum toxin (BT) has been investigated, showing variable and sometimes conflicting results. Objectives: To compare the outcomes of bilateral BT injection and traditional surgery in a pediatric population with EIE in order to optimize and standardize the therapeutic approach. Other purposes are to evaluate whether early intervention may prevent the onset of vertical ocular deviation (which is part of the clinical picture of EIE) and/or influence the development of fine stereopsis, and also to assess changes in refractive status over time among the enrolled population. Methods: A retrospective consecutive cohort study was conducted in 86 children aged 0-48 months who underwent correction of EIE. The primary intervention in naïve subjects was either bilateral BT injection (36 subjects, "BT group") or strabismus surgery (50 subjects, "surgery group"). Results: Overall, BT chemodenervation (one or two injections) was effective in 13 (36.1%) subjects. With regard to residual deviation angle, the outcomes at least 5 years after the last intervention were overlapping in children receiving initial treatment with either injection or surgery; however, the success rate of primary intervention in the surgery group was higher, and the average number of interventions necessary to achieve orthotropia was smaller. Both early treatment with chemodenervation and surgery at a later age were not found to prevent the onset of vertical ocular deviation, whereas, surprisingly, the percentage of subjects developing fine stereopsis was higher in the surgery group. Finally, with regard to the change in refractive status over time, most of the subjects increased their initial hyperopia, whereas 10% became myopic. Conclusions: Our data suggest that a single bilateral BT injection by age 2 years should be considered as the first-line treatment of EIE without vertical component; whereas, traditional surgery should be considered as the first-line treatment for all other cases and in subjects unresponsive to primary single BT injection.

[Long term outcomes of botulinum toxin injections in infantile esotropia]. / Évaluation a long terme de l'éfficacité de la toxine botulique dans l'ésotropie precoce.

PURPOSE: To evaluate long terms outcomes of botulinum toxin in infantile esotropia by measuring the amount of microtropia 24 months after injection. Secondary purpose was to identify predictive factors of microtropia. METHODS: A retrospective, single-center study was performed at the university medical center in Bordeaux between 2001 and 2018, including all patients with infantile esotropia greater than 20 D. All patients received 5 or 7,5 IU of botulinum toxin A in each medial rectus, once or twice depending on the angle of deviation after the first injection and after wearing full optical correction at least two months. We noted the angle at 1, 6, 12 and 24 months, the occurrence of any complications and the need for later strabismus surgery. The primary endpoint was the achievement of a microtropia less than 8 diopters (D) at 24 months post-injection. We evaluated the predictive factors for microtropia with a Fischer's test. RESULTS: We included 30 patients with esotropia greater than 20 D. The mean follow-up after injection was 48 months ±30. The mean age was 16.24 months (7-29 months) with a female predominance in the population (SR=0.43). The mean pre-injection deviation was 41.25±12.17 D. The majority of patients were mildly (40%) or moderately (40%) hyperopic. At 24 months, 46.7% microtropias were obtained (95% CI: 28.9%-64.5%). The change in mean angle at 1, 6, 12 and 24 months post-injection was -8.57±25.21 D; 14.48±13.40 D; 18.38±12.07 D and 21.23±14.97 D, respectively. No factors were predictive of microtropia. Of the 30 children, 3 had transient ptosis requiring strips and 12 showed an exotropia at 1 month. All complications were self-limited and without consequences. 3 children had a second injection of botulinum toxin, which in 2/3 of the cases resulted in a long-lasting microtropia. 26.7% (n=8) of the children underwent secondary surgery. Obtaining a microtropia 24 months after injection statistically significantly reduced the need for secondary strabismus surgery: 92.9% P=0.039% CI 95% (0.002; 1.0606). CONCLUSION: Botulinum toxin appears to be a less invasive and more conservative alternative to surgery in children with infantile esotropia. In 46.7% of cases, microtropia is achieved. An improvement was noted in 90% (n=27) of the children with a reduction of half (21.23 D) of the mean post-injection angle at 24 months. When effective, it significantly reduces the need for secondary surgery.

Outcome of Esotropia Surgery in 2 Tertiary Hospitals in Cameroon.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the ocular alignment following esotropia surgery in our setting. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted a cross sectional descriptive study which spanned 19 years, from October 1999 to September 2018 at the Douala General Hospital and the Yaoundé Central Hospital. Complete medical records of patients who underwent surgery for esotropia during the study period were included. Data collected included age at diagnosis, sex, age of onset of esotropia, age at surgery, refractive error, type of surgery performed, pre and post-operative angle of deviation. The outcome was considered good when the postoperative angle was ≤10 prism diopters (PD). RESULTS: Four hundred and ninety patients with primary esotropia were seen during the study period. Only 155 returned for follow-up after wearing the full cycloplegic correction for a minimum period of 3 months. Accommodative esotropia was found in 32 cases (20.6%). Among the 123 cases requiring surgery, 63 cases underwent surgery (51.2%). Fifty-nine complete records were included (59.3% females and 40.7% males). The mean age at the time of diagnosis was 6.5 ± 6.1 years and the mean age at the time of surgery was 8.7 ± 6.1 years. The mean preoperative angle at distance was 42.8 ±10.8 PD. The outcome was good in 91.5% of cases. No factor influenced the outcome of surgery. CONCLUSION: The outcome of esotropia surgery was good in this study. This could serve to increase patient motivation to accept surgery in our setting.

Long term motor and sensory outcome after surgery for infantile esotropia and risk factors for residual and consecutive deviations.

Purpose: To present long-term motor and sensory outcomes after surgery for infantile esotropia and assess risk factors for residual and consecutive deviations.Methods: Data of infantile esotropia patients operated between 2002 and 2016 with minimum follow-up of 2 years were retrospectively reviewed.Results: Among a total of 62 patients, 35 had a successful motor outcome (alignment within 10 PD from orthotropia) after one surgery (Group A), while 27 required horizontal reoperation (Group B). Patients with residual esotropia had larger preoperative angle of deviation (P = .005) and younger age at first surgery (P = .01), while consecutive exotropia was associated with longer follow-up (P = .03) and higher rate of DVD (P = .003) compared to patients in Group A. Stereopsis was present in 30.3% of patients in Group A and associated with younger age at first surgery (P = .03).Conclusions: Successful motor alignment may be obtained with single surgery in infantile esotropia; however, reoperations are common. Younger age at first surgery may be associated with both higher rate of stereopsis and risk of reoperation. Careful preoperative assessment and surgical timing, with long-term postoperative follow-up is required to achieve satisfactory outcome.

Short-term outcome of botulinum neurotoxin A injection with or without sodium hyaluronate in the treatment of infantile esotropia-a prospective interventional study.

Purpose: To compare the short-term outcome of botulinum neurotoxin A (BoNT-A) with or without sodium hyaluronate in the treatment of infantile esotropia (IE). Methods: In this tertiary care hospital-based prospective, interventional, non-randomized study on infants with IE below one year of age, 25 cases were enrolled in the sodium hyaluronate (SH) group to receive 2.5 U BoNT-A injection combined with SH in each medial rectus muscle (MR). Thirty patients were enrolled in the control group to receive 2.5 U BoNT-A injection with normal saline in each MR. The change in mean primary ocular deviation (POD) and complications were assessed at 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months post injection. Mann-Whitney U test was used for non-parametric unpaired data. Chi-square test and Fisher's exact test were used to test for the strength of the association between the two categorical variables. Results: Satisfactory ocular alignment was achieved in 76% in SH group and 73% in the control group (P value = 0.80). While the change in mean POD was comparable (29.2 prism diopters [PD] vs 29.3 PD; P value = 0.65), the complication rates were significantly lesser in SH (16% vs 33.3%; P value = 0.14). Conclusion: BoNT-A combined with SH is equally effective with lesser complications as compared to botulinum toxin alone in the treatment of IE.