PURPOSE

To report the prevalent forms of childhood strabismus.

DESIGN

Retrospective, population-based cohort study.

METHODS

The medical records of all Olmsted County, Minnesota, residents younger than 19 years diagnosed with esotropia, exotropia, or hypertropia from January 1, 1985 through December 31, 1994, were reviewed.

RESULTS

Six hundred twenty-seven new cases of childhood strabismus were identified during the 10-year study period, including 380 (60.1%) with esotropia, 205 (32.7%) with exotropia, and 42 (6.7%) with hypertropia. The five most common forms of strabismus included accommodative esotropia (27.9%), intermittent exotropia (16.9%), acquired nonaccommodative esotropia (10.2%), esotropia in children with an abnormal central nervous system (7.0%), and convergence insufficiency (6.4%).

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides population-based data on the most prevalent forms of childhood strabismus. Accommodative esotropia, intermittent exotropia, and acquired nonaccommodative esotropia were the predominant forms of strabismus in this Western population.