A surgical approach for Duane syndrome.

Duane retraction syndrome (DRS) represents a spectrum of motility disorders in which the common feature is retraction of the affected eye on attempted adduction. Electrophysiologic and neuropathologic studies have shown that the underlying cause is anomalous innervation of the lateral rectus with the medial rectus and, at times, with vertical muscles in the affected eye. Clinical abnormalities observed in DRS can include any or all of the following: a deviation in the primary position; abnormal head position; severe retraction causing a pseudoptosis; and upshoots and/or downshoots associated with A, V, or X patterns. A surgical approach based on the analysis of these four features is presented, allowing the surgeon to devise an appropriate, individualized plan for a given case which can yield optimal results in one operation.