Kestenbaum procedure on the vertical rectus muscles with simultaneous compensation of the induced cyclodeviation for nystagmus patients with chin-up or chin-down head posture.

BACKGROUND

Kestenbaum surgery is performed for nystagmus-related abnormal head posture, and symmetrically changes the position of both eyes to shift the null point to the primary position. Most patients with infantile nystagmus have their null point zone in a lateral gaze position. Less frequently, surgery can be performed to reduce chin-up or chin-down head posture. We report indications for, and the results of eight consecutive interventions performed according to the Kestenbaum principle for the reduction of a chin-up or chin-down head posture.

METHODS

In a retrospective study, the clinical findings for eight patients who consecutively underwent treatment in the University Eye Hospital of Cologne between 2001 and 2007 were investigated. The patients were aged 6 to 16 years; median age was 6.5 years. For all patients, surgery was to correct a chin-up or chin-down head posture due to infantile nystagmus. Preoperatively, five patients showed a chin-down, three a chin-up head posture. All vertical rectus muscles were recessed or tucked between 6 and 7 mm; the resulting cyclodeviation was reduced by an intervention on the superior oblique muscles (6 to 8 mm tucking, in the case of chin-down, or recession in the case of chin-up head posture).

RESULTS

Surgery was successful in seven of the eight patients, with a reduction of the vertical head posture to less than 10 degrees. In the cases of chin-down posture, head posture was reduced to between 0 degrees and a maximum of 20 degrees in one case postoperatively (before the operation 20 degrees to 35 degrees ); in the cases of chin-up posture, to less than 8 degrees (before the operation 25 degrees to 35 degrees). One case showed no postoperative improvement in chin-down posture but a head turn to the left of up to 20 degrees; another case had a remaining chin-up posture of 8 degrees with a right turn of 15 degrees . Binocular vision was better or the same in all cases after surgery.

CONCLUSION

For nystagmus patients with chin-up or chin-down head posture, surgery for bilateral parallel shifting of the eyes can considerably improve the head posture. It is possible to compensate the induced cyclodeviation at the same time by bilateral surgery on the superior oblique muscles.