Clinical and Demographic Characteristics of Intermittent Exotropia in Egyptian Population

Strabismus is one of the most frequent ocular problems among developmentally normal children. The prevalence of strabismus varies among different regions, ranging from 0.06% in Japan to 5.65% in China. Exotropia is reported to be the most prevalent type of deviation in many of these studies. About 48-92% of the exotropic patients have intermittent exotropia (IXT). Jenkins reported that the prevalence of exodeviation was higher in countries near the Equator. Its prevalence is also higher in subequatorial Africa, the Middle East, and East Asia (where there is plenty of sunshine) in comparison to the USA and Central Europe. Intermittent exotropia is a disorder of binocular eye movement control, where one eye intermittently turns outward. The outward deviation is greatest and likely occurs at far distances viewing, when the oculomotor convergence effort is weakest, and occurs frequently when the patient is under stress, tired, ill, or in particular test situations. X(T) can also occur at near as convergence insufficiency.