Pattern of Strabismus in Children and Adolescents in Hail, KSA

Background: Strabismus (Squint), abnormal ocular alignment could occur constantly or intermittently. Double vision, poor vision or abnormal head positioning may accompany it. A child with squint may stop using the affected eye. This can lead to visual loss, which can become permanent unless treated early in childhood. Objective: to estimate the prevalence of squint, types and treatment characteristics in the studied children and adolescents in Hail city, Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional study conducted in Hail city, Saudi Arabia. The study included 299 participants; 148 male and 151 female children and adolescents from 6 months to 19 years. The study period was from 1 January to 30 May 2018. Data collected by personal interview using a pre-designed questionnaire, which distributed among mothers of children and adolescents to be self-reported. Results: Squint found in 17.1% of the studied sample. Squint was right sided in 37.3% of the cases, left sided in also 37.3% and in both eyes in 25.5% of the studied cases. About half (47.1%) of cases had inward squint (esotropia) and 15.7% outward squint (exsotropia), 21.6% of the cases had Intermittent squint and 52.2% had permanent squint. In most (70.7%) of cases, squint affected the visual acuity. As regards treatment, 45.1% received medical treatment and 13.7% received surgical treatment. Only 19.6% of cases completely cured and 39.2% had recurrence. There was insignificant relation with sex, squint in parents, other hereditary diseases and consanguinity between parents (P>0.05). Conclusion: in this study, the prevalence of squint in the studied children and adolescents in Hail city, Saudi Arabia was 17.1%. No significant difference between males and females. After treatment, only 19.6% of cases completely cured and 39.2% had recurrence. Health education of the public about importance of early treatment is mandatory. Keywords: Squint; strabismus; prevalence; types; Hail; Saudi Arabia