What is exotropia?

Exotropia is an outward turning of one or both eyes. It is a common type of strabismus. About a quarter of all children with strabismus have exotropia.

There are different types of exotropia. The condition can be visually noticeable either all the time or just sometimes.

Exotropia can be present at birth or occur later in life. It can usually be managed or treated, but treatment will vary based on type and severity.

In some cases, the condition goes away on its own.

Types of exotropia

Each type of exotropia can have different causes and levels of severity.

Intermittent exotropia

Intermittent exotropia is the most common type of the condition. Around 1% of the population is thought to have some degree of intermittent exotropia.

Eye turning only happens occasionally, as a result of one of these circumstances:

Most bouts of intermittent exotropia are infrequent, but they can happen so often that it becomes a permanent problem.

Children with intermittent exotropia tend to become nearsighted during childhood or adolescence.

Congenital (infantile) exotropia

Congenital exotropia, sometimes called infantile exotropia, can happen at birth or early on in life. It is often noticed between 4 and 6 weeks of age.

Some mild cases don’t need to be treated and go away on their own, between 6 and 8 weeks of age.

If you continue to see misalignment in your child’s eyes after 4 months of age, contact an eye doctor for an exam.

Acquired exotropia

Exotropia can be acquired as the result of another health condition(s), especially those that affect the brain.

Conditions include:

• Stroke

• Trauma

• Down syndrome

• Cerebral palsy

• Thyroid disease

• Brain tumor

Other conditions, such as cataracts and glaucoma, can also increase the risk of developing acquired exotropia.

Sensory exotropia

Sensory exotropia happens when there is vision loss or blindness in one eye. The vision problem hurts one eye’s ability to work with the other eye.

Sensory exotropia can affect people at any age.

Consecutive exotropia

Consecutive exotropia can develop after surgery that was performed to correct misaligned eyes. This is thought to be caused by damage to the muscles that control eye movement, at some point during the procedure.

One study found that certain people had a higher risk for developing consecutive exotropia after a procedure than others. If you’re considering eye alignment surgery, talk to your eye doctor to find out whether it’s something you should keep in mind.

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