Strabismus is an ocular condition characterized by misalignment of the eyes and, therefore, of the left and right visual fields, which can occur in the first 6 months after birth (infantile strabismus) or later (acquired strabismus).
More or less pronounced forms of ocular misalignment affect about 3 percent of children and involve more than just cosmetic discomfort: in the absence of proper treatment, strabismus can result in serious impairment of vision in about half of cases.
Strabismus is classified according to the type of deviation (Source: Todaro Studio) present: if the eyes are deviated toward the nose, it is called “exo-strabismus,” while if the eyes are divergent and oriented toward the sides of the face, the prefix “exo” is used; when the eyes “look” upward it is called “hyper-strabismus,” while if the deviation is downward it is prefixed “hypo.”
Some strabismus is obvious and easily recognized even by non-experts (tropes), while very mild deviations (phorias) are only highlighted by closing one eye at a time or in situations of fatigue, when the eye muscles struggle to compensate for the defect and keep the eye “on axis.”
