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Strabismus
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In strabismus, the eyes are not aligned. Normally both eyes look at the same object at the same time; in strabismus, one or both eyes turn inward, toward the nose, or outward, and stop pointing where the person is looking. It's like two cameras that should focus on the same point, but one aims elsewhere.
Keeping the eyes aligned takes teamwork. Each eye has six extraocular muscles, the muscles attached to the outside of the eye that move it, and three cranial nerves, III, IV and VI, send those muscles their commands. Because everything has to be coordinated, strabismus can stem from a problem with what the eye sees, with movement, with something mechanical or with the nervous system.
In young children, something else happens. If one eye stays turned all the time, the brain, which is still learning to see, receives two images that don't match. To avoid seeing double, it may suppress the image from that eye, and that is how amblyopia develops: the brain stops using what that eye sees.
In brief
Strabismus is misalignment of the eyes: one or both eyes turn inward or outward instead of pointing at the object being looked at.
Two cameras that should focus on the same point, and one aims elsewhere.
Alignment depends on six extraocular muscles per eye, supplied by cranial nerves III, IV and VI; any sensory, motor, mechanical or neurologic problem can cause strabismus.
If one eye is constantly turned, the developing brain may suppress its image to avoid double vision, and amblyopia develops.
Sources (1)
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, StatPearls PublishingStrabismus, StatPearlsPublished
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
Updated