Characteristics of diplopia in a pediatric population.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the characteristics of diplopia in children at a single tertiary eye care center.

METHODS: The medical records of patients with diplopia onset at age 18 years or younger presenting during the period 2015-2018 were reviewed retrospectively. Demographic information, clinical characteristics, diagnoses, treatment, and outcome data were collected. The exact χ2 test was used to compare groups and select post hoc analyses were performed using the Fisher exact or exact χ2 tests.

RESULTS: A total of 244 patients (average age, 12.2 years at presentation) were included. The most common clinical diagnoses were nonparalytic strabismus (49.2%), trauma (9.4%), and cranial nerve palsies (9%). There was no statistically significant difference in median age of diplopia onset in those with nonparalytic strabismus, cranial nerve palsies, and vision- or life-threatening conditions. There was a statistically significant difference in timing of onset of diplopia at presentation in vision- or life-threatening conditions compared to nonparalytic strabismus (P < 0.0001) and cranial nerve palsies (P = 0.01) and for neurologic symptoms in vision- or life- threatening conditions compared to nonparalytic strabismus (P = 0.032) and cranial nerve palsies (P = 0.0051). In patients with more than one neurologic symptom, the majority (58.3%) had a vision- or life-threatening condition. Initial interventions included observation (28.7%), prisms (18.4%), updating refractive correction (14.3%), and strabismus surgery (11.1%). In patients with follow-up data, 5.3% had resolution of diplopia prior to their clinic visit, and 46.6% had resolution after initial intervention.

CONCLUSIONS: In our study cohort, most children who presented with diplopia had nonemergent conditions. In those with life-threatening conditions, diplopia tended to have an acute onset and associated neurologic signs and visual symptoms.