Strabismus in adults older than 60 years

Purpose: To describe the epidemiology of adult strabismus, its etiology, and treatment methods in patients 60 years and older presenting to a tertiary care center. Methods: This retrospective chart review study of patients with strabismus was performed at the Ratner Eye Center, University of California-San Diego. Data collected included demographics, etiology of misalignment, alignment in the primary position, binocularity, previous surgical intervention, and treatment methods. Results: A total of 291 patients were included. The majority of patients (87.9%) had an acquired underlying etiology of misalignment (neurological, non-neurological, thyroid eye disease, or myotoxic). The most common presenting complaint was diplopia (77%). A total of 38.8% of patients had previous strabismus surgery. Surgical interventions were pursued in 32% of patients. Conclusions: This article provides insight into the epidemiology of strabismus in patients older than 60 years. The characterization and greater understanding of strabismus in this age group can be used to enhance prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of these patients.