Investigation of Heterophoria Flashcards
What is co-morbidity?
The act of having an associated condition
What is heterophoria also known as?
Latent Strabismus
What is the difference between concomitant and incomitant heterophorias?
Concomitant :
- Angle of the deviation remains the same in all directions of gaze
- Angle of the deviation remains the same no matter which eye is fixing.
- Angle may vary over viewing distance
Incomitant :
- Angle of the deviation differs in different directions of gaze
- Angle is dependant on which eye is fixing.
What test do we use to determine whether a phoria is conocimtant or incomitant?
Ocular motility + Cover test
What would you do if a px came in with an incomitant phoria - recent onset?
REFER
True or False- a px can have a concomitant deviation that changes by viewing angle
True- a phoria is still concomitant if it changes at different viewing distances as long as the size of the deviation doesn’t change on versions
If the angle of a phoria doesn’t change on different viewing differences what do we term it?
“Non- specific”
How do we classfiy a phoria?
By deviation e.g. XOP or SOP
and then by seeing if the size of the deviation changes at different viewing distances.
If at a distance - ask your self what do eyes normally do at this distance - converge or diverge?
If deviation is in direction of movement that is meant to be made at that distance ( e.g. in the direction of convergence so moving inwards, or in the direction of divergence so moving outwards) the the phoria is in excess if not its in weakness.
E.g. SOP largest at distance would be termed a diverge weakness Esophoria.
e.g. XOP largest at near would be termed a: converge weakness exophoria
If a heterophoria is compensated is it likely to be symptomatic or asymptomatic?
Asymptomatic
What does a decompensated phoria mean?
It breaks down from being a phoria into a tropia.
Does a compensated phoria require treatment?
No
What happens to the power of the lens as we accommodate?
It becomes fatter and so more positve.
What different things can cause decompensation of a phoria?
Uncorrected refractive error :
imagine a child is a hyperope they will accommodate loads and then converge resulting in an esophoria to become an esotropia.
If they are myopic and uncorrected they wil diverge their eyes and not accommodate resulting in an exotropia.
Equally corrected refractive error can also cause decompensation.
Anisekonia (following anisometropia):
- especially after cataract surgery - as they do one eye at a time and leave the lens power as plano after so a px with a really high rx will have one realy high untreated eye and one plano eye.
Pathology:
- equally a cataract in one eye and not the other would mean the eyes can’t work together.
Other examples of pathology would be:
EOM abnormalities.
Accommodative anomalies
Reduced Fusional reserves
What other things can cause someone whos on the verge to decompensate?
Pregnancy - for the strain on your body that it is.
Poor general health
Trauma
Alcohol - because it is a muscle relaxant and so if your at the edge it will cause decompensation.
Drugs
Big lifestyle changes e.g. going from far sighted work to lots of near sighted work e.g. from being a plane spotter to a jeweller.
Occupations with a lot of Monocular work (e.g. microscope).
What symptoms associated with heterophoria are due to the effort it takes to maintain binocular single vision?
Headache
Eyestrain
Asthenopia
What symptoms associated with heterophoria are due to a failure in being able to maintain binocular single vision?
Diplopia
Blurred vision - when the diplopia is very small- when its side by side
Jumbling of letters
How do we investigate heterophoria in history and symptoms - what questions do we ask?
- History:
- Symptoms (Sx)
- When did they start
- How regular
- Are they progressing
- Do they become worse after any particular activity
- Can they be stopped
- General health - good or bad , medication
- POH (Any cataract surgery, strabismus surgery, changed Rx)
- Recently changed jobs?
- Any new lifestyle changes?
Why do we do a cover test with glasses on?
Cause of decompensation could be due to rx.
Equally the prescription we give could be being used to treat the phoria .
In a px with a heterophoria that is decompensating why is it important to check visual acuity?
Cause of decompensation could be change in rx and once corrected that could all be fine.
Equally to rule out that the decompensating is not due to pathology.
What test do we do to determine whether a deviation is compensated or not?
Cover Test - more specifically the recovery on the cover test.
If you find a phoria on cover test what is the next test you do and why?
Ocular motility to check for incomitancy