Classification of Heterophoria & Heterotropia Flashcards
Describe a heterophoria - latent squint?
- Most binocular anomalies result in misalignment of visual axes
- Fusion reflex maintains correct alignment of the 2 eyes
- If this fusion reflex is suspended eyes will adopt ‘fusion free position & a measurable deviation of visual axes will occur
- Error of alignment that takes place when fusion is suspended is heterophoria
- Not manifest if have enough fusion to control it
If eyes remain exactly parallel on dissociation for either near or distance fixation this is termed orthophoria ‘straight’
In normal there is nearly always a slight tendency for the eyes to deviate slightly on dissociation
The cover test will reveal this dissociation
Describe cover test in heterophoria?
- Performed to diagnose the presence of a heterophoria & heterotropia
- In heterophoria one eye is covered and that eye will deviate (i.e. under the cover)
- When cover is removed the movement to regain fixation with that eye is seen
- Other eye will also make these movements on dissociation
- Cover test removes fusion
What are all the types of esophoria?
- Convergence Excess (Type Esophoria):
o Deviation 10^ greater at near fixation - Divergence Weakness:
o Deviation 10^ greater at distance fixation - Non-specific:
o Deviation similar at near and distance fixation
o Even if difference 6^ between near & distance
What are all the types of exophoria?
- Convergence weakness
o Deviation 10^ greater at near fixation
o DO NOT CONFUSE THIS WITH CONVERGENCE INSUFFICIENCY - Divergence excess
o Deviation 10^ greater at distance fixation - Non-specific
o Deviation similar at near & distance fixation
Describe vertical heterophoria?
- Eye moves upwards under the cover & will then be seen to come down once cover removed – HYPERphoria
- Eye moves downwards under cover & will then be seen to come up once cover is removed – HYPOphoria
- Nomenclature of deviation is determined by high eye right HYPERphoria = left HYPOphoria = R/L
- If vertical phoria it will be highly unlikely they have full motility – usually slight under action/over action to compensate
Describe cyclophoria?
- Excyclophoria:
o Upper poles of corneas deviate outwards when fusion prevented
o Superior oblique & superior recurs are intorters – if under action eye will be extorted - Incyclophoria:
o Upper poles of corneas deviate inwards when fusion prevented
o Inferior oblique and inferior recurs are extorters – if undersction eye will be intorted - Highly unlikely they will have full motility – usually slight under action/over action to compensate
- This deviation is hard to see on cover test – look at point on iris to see if it is rotating
Describe concomitant and incomitant heterophoria?
Concomitant Heterophoria: dissociated deviation remains same whichever eye is made to fixate. No significant change in 9 positions of gaze
Incomitant Heterophoria: dissociated deviation increases when one eye is made to fixate and decreases when other eye fixated OR it increases and decreases when eyes are dissociated in different positions of gaze
What is the aetiology of incomitant heterophoria?
- Most are seen in presence of para lyrical or mechanical strabismus
- Diagnosed according to underlying cause e.g. esophoria in 6th nerve palsy or hypophoria in Thyroid Eye Disease or hyperphoria in 4th nerve palsy
- Hyperphoria, hypophoria, cyclophoria are almost always incomitant
What can incomitancy be due to?
- Undersection of one or more of EOMs as result of cranial nerve palsy or mechanical or myogenic factors
- Uncorrected or undercorrected spherical anisometropia
o This requires more accommodation and therefore more convergence when one eye fixated than when other fixates
o Accurate correction should result in concomitance being restored
o Therefore test pxs with and without glasses – if px has been incorrectly dispensed can appear as a problem – if optical centres have moved for px then can induce prism
With an incomitant heterophoria, what does the dissociated deviation do?
- Increases when paralytic eye made to fixate (secondary deviation)
- Decreases when fellow eye fixated (primary deviation)
- Varies when dissociated in different positions of gaze
What is the important thing to note in heterophoria unless problem with refractive error?
Unless problem with refractive error – deviation should be same in both eyes
What is a manifest squint? What happens when someone with a manifest squint relaxes accomm?
Manifest squint – when both eyes are open one eye will fixate the target and the other will deviate
In some pxs when they relax the accommodation (make the image blurry) the eyes go straight
Normal retinal correspondence
Describe cover test in a patient with heterotropia?
- In heterophoria one eye is covered and other eye is observed
- If uncovered eye moves to take up fixation, a heterotropia or manifest deviation of that eye is present
- Horizontal and vertical squints can Co-exist
- Hererotropia can be in one eye or both (alternating) although not at same time
Describer vertical heterotropia?
- If uncovered eye moves downwards to take up fixation a hypertropia is present
- If uncovered eye moves upwards to take up fixation a hypertropia is present
- Nomenclature of deviation is determined by which eye shows manifest deviation
- If px shows a manifest R Elevation on cover test we would refer to this as right hypertropia as they are not fixing with RE
Describe cyclotropia?
- Excyclotropia: upper poles of corneas deviate outwards
- Incyclotropia: upper poles of corneas deviate inwards
- Highly unusual in px who didn’t have cranial nerve weakness
What is concomitant heterotropia?
- Ocular movement is within normal limits at time of onset of strabismus
- Angle of deviation is virtually same whichever eye is used for fixation in primary position
What is incomitant heterotropia?
- Synonym – paralytic strabismus
- Occurs when there is limitation of ocular movement
- Angle of deviation increases as eyes are turned in direction of limitation and decreases when turned in opposite direction, with exception of mechanical palsies where movement may be limited in opposing direction.
- The secondary deviation exceeds the primary deviation – the development of secondary comitance in long-standing cases can result in equality