BCSC Strabismus Flashcards
What does strabismus mean?
From the Greek work strabismos, meaning “to squint or look obliquely,” strabismus refers to ocular misalignment of any cause
What is orthophoria?
the ideal condition of ocular alignment under binocular conditions
What is heterophoria?
an ocular deviation kept latent by the fusional mechanism (latent strabismus)
What is orthotropia?
correct direction or position of the eyes (although a less stringent condition than orthophoria)
What is heterotropia?
a deviation that is manifest and not kept under control by the fusional mechanism (manifest strabismus)
Eso-
Rotation of the eye such that (s.t.) the cornea –> nasally, fovea –> temporally (–> indicates direction of deviation) (convergent strabismus)
Exo-
Rotation of the eye s.t. the cornea –> nasally, fovea –> temporally (divergent strabismus)
Hyper-
Rotation of eye s.t. cornea –> superiorly, fovea –> inferiorly (a form of vertical strabismus)
Hypo-
Rotation of eye s.t. cornea –> inferiorly, fovea –> superiorly (a form of vertical strabismus)
Incyclo-
Rotation of eye s.t. superior pole –> nasally, inferior pole –> temporally (intorsional strabismus)
Excyclo-
Rotation of eye s.t. superior pole –> temporally, inferior pole –> nasally (extorsional strabismus)
-phoria
A latent deviation that is controlled by the fusional mechanism, so that the eyes remain aligned under normal binocular conditions
-tropia
A manifest deviation that exceeds the control of the fusional mechanism, so that the eyes are not aligned under binocular conditions
Phoria (n.)
A “latent” deviation in which fusional control is ALWAYS present
Intermittent tropia (n.)
A deviation in which fusional control is SOMETIMES present
Tropia (n.)
A “manifest” deviation in which fusional control is NEVER present
Comitant (adj.)
The same (or not varying by more than a few prism diopters) in all directions of gaze and fixation with either eye
Incomitant
Varying in size with direction of gaze or with the eye used for fixating (usually due to paralytic or restrictive cause)
Alternating fixation
Fixation moving from one eye to the other spontaneously
Monocular fixation
Definite preference for fixation with one eye
Congenital/Infantile strabismus
Terms used interchangeably for deviation documented before the age of 6 months
Acquired strabismus
Term used for deviation with onset after 6 months, after a period of apparently normal visual development
Abbreviations: E, X, RH, LH
Esophoria, exophoria, right hyperphoria, left hyperphoria
Abbreviations: ET, XT, RHT, LHT
(Constant) esotropia, exotropia, right hypertropia, left hypertropia
Abbreviations: E(T), X(T), RH(T), LH(T)
Intermittent esotropia, exotropia, right hypertropia, left hypertropia
Abbreviations: RHoT, LHoT
Right hypotropia, left hypotropia
Abbreviations: O, EX = 0
Orthophoria (orthotropia)
What does the addition of a prime to the abbreviations for a deviation indicate?
That the deviation occurs at near fixation (e.g., E’ indicates esophoria at near)
Optical axis
The best fit line for the optical centers of three parts of the eye anatomy: 1) cornea, 2) lens, 3) fovea
Pupillary axis
The corneal surface normal that passes through the center of the pupil (since the radius of curvature of the cornea is not the same as the distance between the pupil center and cornea, there should theoretically be only one such line)
Visual axis
Line connecting fixation point and the foveal center
What are the 7 extraocular muscles?
4 rectus muscles, 2 oblique muscles, and the levator palpebrae superioris
Which EOMs does the upper division of CN III supply?
Levator, SR
Which EOMs does the lower division of CN III supply?
MR, IR, IO
What is primary position?
Positioning such that the eyes are directed straight ahead and the head is straight
What is the primary action of a muscle?
The predominant effect on the position of the eye (component of force vector with largest magnitude) when contracting with the eye in primary position
What do the secondary and tertiary actions of a muscle refer to?
The second and third largest magnitude components of the force vector generated by muscle contraction with the eye in primary position
Approximately how many degrees can each globe be rotated in either direction when in primary position?
50 degrees
What is the secondary action of the SR muscle (in primary position)?
Intorsion
What is the secondary action of the IR muscle (in primary position)?
Extorsion
From where do all the rectus muscles arise?
The annulus of Zinn
From where does the SO arise?
The obital apex
What angle does the vertical plane passing through the two vertical rectus muscles make with the vertical plane including the visual axis?
23 degrees
What angle does the SO form with the vertical plane containing the visual axis in primary position?
51 degrees
In what directions is the SO redirected at the trochlea?
Inferior, posterior, and lateral
Into which quadrant of the globe does the SO tendon insert?
posterosuperior
What are the primary and secondary actions of the SO in primary position?
1) intorsion, 2) depression
From where does the IO originate?
the periosteum of the maxillary bone, just posterior to the orbital rim and lateral to the orifice of the lacrimal fossa
What angle does the IO form with the vertical plane containing the visual axis in primary position?
51 degrees
What are the primary and secondary actions of the IO in primary position?
1) extorsion, 2) elevation
From where does the levator arise?
The apex of the orbit from the lesser wing of the sphenoid just superior to the annulus of Zinn
The fascial sheath of the levator is connected with that of which EOM?
SR
What are the distances of the rectus muscle insertions from the limbus in the order MR, IR, LR, SR?
5.5mm, 6.5mm, 6.9mm, 7.7mm
Which EOMs are supplied by the lateral muscular branch of the opthalmic artery?
LR, SR, SO, levator
Which EOMs are supplied by the medial muscular branch of the ophthalmic artery?
IR, MR, IO
Which veins empty the EOMs?
Superior and inferior orbital veins and the vortex veins
What histologic type of muscle is EOM?
voluntary striated muscle
Is the ratio of nerve fibers to muscle fibers in EOMs greater than in skeletal muscle?
Yes, 10x greater in EOMs
What are the two layers of EOMs?
Orbital layer (acting on pulley system) and Global layer (inserting on globe)
Are singly innervated fibers in the EOMs slow twitch or fast twitch?
Fast twitch (80% of orbital layer, 90% of global layer)
What are the 3 subgroups of singly innervated muscle fibers in the EOMs?
red (most mitochondria and most fatigue resistant), intermediate, white
Do each of the rectus muscles have a capsule extending from origin to insertion?
Yes
Of what does the muscle cone consist?
EOMs, EOM sheaths, intermuscular membrane
What is the Tenon capsule??
The principal orbital fascia, which forms the envelope within which the globe moves.
With what does the Tenon capsule fuse posteriorly?
Optic nerve sheath
With what does the Tenon capsule fuse anteriorly?
Intermuscular septum, approximately 3mm from limbus
Where do the global layers of the 4 rectus muscles penetrate the Tenon capsule?
10mm posterior to their insertions (posterior to the equator)
Where do the oblique muscles penetrate the Tenon capsule
anterior to the equator
Which EOMs have fibroelastic pulleys consisting of collagen, elastin, and smooth muscle?
The 4 rectus muscles and IO
What do pulleys serve to do for the EOMs?
They serve as functional origins for their respective EOMs
From which two EOM pulleys does the Lockwood ligament arise?
IO and IR pulleys
Are the lower lid retractors coupled to the conjoined IR/IO pulleys?
Yes, which allows coordination of lower eyelid positioning with vertical eye positioning during vertical gaze shift
What is the distance from the rectus muscle insertion of the nerves to the rectus muscles?
26mm (the nerves are located 26mm and further posterior to the rectus muscle insertions), which is relevant for performing muscle surgeries.
Does recession strengthen or weaken a muscle?
Weaken
Does resection strengthen or weaken a muscle?
Strengthen
Why should care be taken to avoid peentration of the Tenon capsule 10mm or more posterior to the limbus?
To avoid prolapse of fatty tissue from within the Tenon capsule and formation of a restrictive adhesion to muscle, intermuscular membrane, or conjunctiva. Such an adhesion would limit ocular motility
Where is the sclera the thinnest?
Just posterior to the 4 rectus muscle insertions
What are the orientations of the x, y, and z axes according to Fick?
x is medial-lateral (passing through the equator), y is anterior-posterior (passing through the pupil), z is rostral-caudal
What is Listing’s equatorial plane?
the plane of the globe’s equator. It contains both the x and z axes of Fick
What is primary position?
the position of the eyes when fixating straight ahead
What are the secondary positions?
Gaze straight 1) up, 2) down, 3) right, 4) left
What are tertiary positions?
The four oblique positions of gaze: up and right, up and left, down and right, down and left
What are the cardinal positions?
There are six cardinal positions: up and right, up and left, right, left, down and right, down and left
What is the arc of contact?
The length of muscle actually in contact with the globe
What is the secondary action of the superior rectus primary position?
Intorsion
What is the secondary action of the inferior rectus in primary position?
Extorsion
What is the secondary action of the inferior oblique in primary position?
Elevation
What is the secondary action of the superior oblique in primary position?
Depression
What is the tertiary action of the superior rectus in primary position?
A D duction
What is the tertiary action the inferior rectus in primary position?
A D duction
What is the tertiary action of the inferior oblique in primary position?
Abduction
What is the tertiary action of the superior oblique in primary position?
Abduction
What are the two, quite distinct, definitions of the term field of action?
1) to indicate the direction of rotation of the eye from primary position if the muscle were the only one to contract, 2) to refer to the gaze position in which the effect of the muscle is most readily observed
Electromyography can be helpful in evaluating which conditions?
Paralysis, recovery from paralysis, abnormalities of innervation in myasthenia gravis, and muscle atrophy
What are ductions?
Monocular rotations of an eye
What does the term agonist mean with regard to eye movements?
the primary muscle moving the eye in a given direction
What does the term synergist mean with regard to eye movements?
the muscle in the same eye as the agonist that acts with the agonist to produce a given movement
What does the term antagonist mean with regard to eye movements?
The muscle in the same eye as the agonist that acts in the direction opposite to that of the agonist
What is Sherrington’s law of reciprocal innervation?
Sherrington’s law postulates that increased innervation (meaning neuronal firing, not actual innervation) and contraction of a given EOM are accompanied by a reciprocal decrease in innervation and contraction of its antagonist
What are versions?
binocular eye movements with the eyes moving in the SAME direction
What are vergences?
vinocular eye movements with the eyes moving in OPPOSITE directions
What does the term yoke muscles mean?
Yoke muscles are 2 muscles (one in each eye) that are the primary movers of their respective eyes into a given position of gaze (e.g., RLR and LMR for right gaze)
What is Hering’s law of motor correspondence?
Hering’s law posits that equal and simultaneous innervation (i.e. neuronal signaling) flows to yoke muscles concerned with the desired direction of gaze
What is “primary deviation?”
The amount of misalignment that occurs when the normal eye is fixating
What is “secondary deviation?”
The amount of misalignment that occurs when the abnormal (e.g. paretic or restricted) eye is fixating
Which is generally larger in the setting of a restriction or paresis, the primary or secondary deviation?
The secondary deviation (relates to Hering’s law)
What is the alignment of the eyes under complete EOM paralysis?
Divergent
What is the AC/A ratio?
The ratio of accommodative convergence (amount eyes turn inward) to accommodation (number of diopters of lens accommodation)
What is proximal (instrument) convergence?
An induced convergence movement caused by a psychological awareness of near; this is particularly apparent when a person looks through an instrument such as a binocular microscope
What is fusional convergence?
A movement to converge and position the eyes s.t. similar retinal images project on corresponding retinal areas. This is accomplished without changing the refractive state of the eyes and is prompted by biTEMPORAL retinal image disparity
What is fusional divergence?
An optomotor reflex to diverge and align the eyes s.t. similar retinal images appear on corresponding retinal areas. It is acomplished without changing the refractive state of the eyes and is prompted by biNASAL retinal image disparity
What is the maximum speed of saccadic movements?
500 degrees/sec
What are corresponding points on the retinas of each eye?
Points such that their simultaneous stimulation results in the subjective sensation that the stimulating target or targets come from the same direction in space
What is anomalous retinal correspondence?
Dissimilar spatial relationships between corresponding retinal areas and their respective foveas
What is a horopter?
The 3d subspace (or perhaps more specifically, a curved 2d manifold) within which all points are seen singly for a given fixation point
What is Panum’s area of single binocular vision?
A superspace of the empirical horopter in which single binocular vision can be achieved through fusion of disparate images (outside the horopter) or by corresponding images (within the horopter)
What is fusion?
The cortical unification of visual objects into a single percept that is made possible by the simultaneous stimulation of corresponding retinal areas
What is sensory fusion?
An artificial classification that refers to fusion aided by innate retinotopic organization of visual cortex
What is motor fusion?
An artificial classification that refers to fusion aided by a vergence movement causing similar retinal images to fall and be maintained on corresponding retinal areas even though natural or artificial causes may otherwise induce disparities
In what situation does stereopsis occur?
In situations s.t. retinal disparity is too great to permit the simple superimposition or fusion of the 2 visual directions, but is not great enough to elicit diplopia
Which feature of binocular vision allows a subjective ordering of visual objects in depth, or 3 dimensions?
Stereopsis
What are the 6 monocular layers of the LGN?
4 dorsal parvocellular layers and 2 ventral magnocellular layers
Which retinal ganglion cells project to the magnocellular layers of the LGN?
Parasol retinal ganglion cells (P->M)
Which retinal ganglion cells project to the parvocellular layers of the LGN?
Midget retinal ganglion cells (M->P)
Which retinal ganglion cells are more highly concentrated in the central retina (midget or parasol)?
midget retinal ganglion cells
What is the peak number of retinal ganglion cells in the human retina and when is it reached?
2.2-2.5 million, reached at week 18 of gestation. Number drops to final count of 1.5 million by first few months of life
When does refinement of synaptic connections in striate cortex level off?
by age 10
What is the benefit of invasion of a deprived eye’s relinquished striate cortex territory by the axonal arbors from the non-deprived eye?
Unclear, as visual acuity does not improve beyond normal in the non-deprived eye
Does astigmatic amblyopia develop in the first year of life?
No, it appears that astigmatic amblyopia does not develop until age 3
When does the critical period for development of strabismic amblyopia appear to begin?
4 months of age