Exotropia Intermittent

Intermittent strabismus is a condition in which the eyes occasionally become misaligned, affecting binocular vision, depth perception, and quality of life. Standard treatment often involves surgery of the eye muscles, although its effectiveness and timing remain debated. Visual therapy is a non-invasive alternative that uses structured exercises to improve eye coordination and binocular vision. However, there is limited high-quality evidence supporting its effectiveness in intermittent strabismus. This randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate whether a 12-session visual therapy program improves eye alignment, binocular vision, control of strabismus, and quality of life in individuals aged 8 to 50 years with intermittent horizontal strabismus. Participants will be assigned to either a visual therapy group or a control group without treatment. Visual therapy will include weekly in-office sessions combined with short daily home exercises. The study will assess changes before and after the intervention to determine whether visual therapy is an effective, non-invasive treatment option that could reduce the need for surgery.

Intermittent exotropia is difficult to treat. The mainstay of treatment involves surgery, and in one long-term study authors found that as many as 60% of IXT required at least one re-operation.Patching of the non-dominant eye has also been tested in a large, multi-center randomized control trial and was not found to have a large benefit. More non-surgical treatment modalities are critical to improve the care in this condition.