[Treatment of dissociated vertical deviation by shifting fixating eye].

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the results of using shifting fixation eye to manage monocular or asymmetrical binocular dissociated vertical deviation (DVD).

METHODS

Twenty-three DVD children whose corrected vision was better than 0.5 in the amblyopic eye were studied. The goal of the shifting fixation eye was gained by decreasing the vision of the primary fixation eye to 2 or 3 lines (Snellen Visual Acuity) lower than that of the fellow fixation eye by occlusion or optical methods. The vision, alignment and retinal correspondence were evaluated before and after the treatment.

RESULTS

After the treatment, in 10 patients, the vision of the primary fixation eye did not decrease significantly and the vision of the fellow eye increased 2 lines. In 19 patients, a cosmetic result was achieved; the primary fixation eye was shifted in 4 patients that had similar hepertropia in two eyes (<or= 10(Delta)). Normal retinal correspondence was restored in 3 patients who had normal retinal correspondence at near while depressed at distance.

CONCLUSIONS

Shifting fixation eye is an effective treatment for DVD hepertropia, especially in patients with monocular or asymmetrical binocular DVD with hepertropia in one eye and latent hepertropia in the fellow eye. This method is suitable to DVD children who do not accept the surgical treatment and have slight to moderate amblyopia and ametropia.