Paralytic strabismus in turkish children examined at three tertiary care services: A retrospective cohort study

Purpose: To assess the etiology and distribution of pediatric ocular motor nerve palsy manifesting as paralytic strabismus. Methods: The authors retrospectively examined the medical files of patients younger than 18 years who were suspected to have strabismus between January 1999 and June 2012 in three Turkish clinics and followed up for at least 6 months. Patients with paralytic strabismus were stratified according to age, sex, affected cranial nerve, and etiology (congenital, traumatic, neoplastic, post-viral, vascular, undetermined, or other), and compared the proportions between groups. Results: Paralytic strabismus was observed in 33 of 1,263 patients (2.6%), with a mean age of 5.9 ± 4.4 years (range: 6 months to 16 years). Seventeen patients (51.5%) were boys and 16 (48.5%) were girls. Twelve patients (36.4%) had congenital paralytic strabismus, and 21 patients (63.6%) had acquired strabismus. The most prevalent cause of acquired paralytic strabismus was trauma in 11 patients (52.4%), undetermined in 6 patients (28.6%), post-viral cranial nerve paralysis in 3 patients (14.3%), and a history of hydrocephalus in 1 patient (9.1%). The fourth cranial nerve was the most frequently affected (45.5% [15 of 33]), followed by the sixth (39.4% [13 of 33]) and the third (15.2% [5 of 33]). Conclusions: Evaluating the incidence and etiology of paralytic strabismus in children in a clinical setting may improve disease management and reduce unnecessary invasive examinations. This study will assist clinicians in understanding the clinic-based distribution of pediatric paralytic strabismus.