Acquired Esotropia

Abstract

Esotropia is a type of strabismus or eye misalignment. The term is derived from 2 Greek words: ésò, meaning inward, and trépò, meaning turn. In esotropia, the eyes are crossed; that is, while one eye looks straight ahead, the other eye is turned in toward the nose. The angle is extremely variable and can exceed 50° with a reduction of exodeviation, even under monocular stimulation. This inward deviation of the eyes can begin as early as infancy, later in childhood, or even into adulthood. Acquired esotropia can occur after infancy and is not always responsive to farsighted glasses; because of this, it does not fall into the categories of congenital esotropia or accommodative esotropia, which are described in other articles. However, an accommodative component may be associated.