Question

If a patient is "looking at you" but what you notice is that the patient's right eye is looking directly forward, while, at the same time, the patient's left eye is looking up and medially, which muscle is not working correctly?

Answer 1

The patient has disorder which is called Esotropia, a form of strabismus in which one or both eyes turns inward. The condition can be constantly present, or occur intermittently, and can give the affected individual a "cross-eyed" appearance. In this condition one eye point directly forward and other eye looks up and medial. Usually the eyes move in the same direction at the same time. These symmetrical movements are made possible through the coordination of the extraocular muscles (muscles outside the eye). Extraocular muscles (muscles outside the eye) allow the eye to move within its orbit. Six of these eyeball muscles attach to each eye. In normal vision the both eyes are focused at the same target and the brain blends the two similar pictures into one clear, three-dimensional picture (called binocular vision).

Strabismus happens when there is imbalance in coordination of extraocular muscles. In this condition one eye is pointed straight ahead and the other is pointed in, out, up, down or medial. The movements of the muscles of one eye do not match those of the other eye. In strabismus, two different pictures are sent to the brain.