Unit 5: Children & Squint
4. Strabismus (squint)
Introduction
In order to achieve binocular single vision and ultimately stereopsis the visual axes from both eyes must be aligned.
Occasionally misalignment of the eyes occurs and a child develops a squint (strabismus). In the image below the right eye looks straight but the left is convergent.
Source: EyeRounds.org.
Contributor: William Charles Caccamise, Sr, MD, Retired Clinical Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry.
Latent and manifest squints
If there is an underlying tendency for the eyes to be misaligned, but this is controlled through subconscious effort, then the patient is described as having a latent deviation or phoria. If the underlying misalignment cannot be controlled and the eyes deviate, then the patient has a manifest squint or tropia.