Early surgery for infantile esotropia: results and influence of age upon results.

In 105 patients with infantile esotropia who initially underwent corrective surgery between 5 and 24 months of age successful alignment of the eyes (to within 10 prism diopters of orthophoria) was associated with a higher prevalence of fusion and stereopsis and a lower prevalence of dissociated vertical deviation (DVD). Fusion was most frequent in the patients whose eyes were successfully aligned by 9 months of age, occurring in 92%. Inferior oblique overaction and amblyopia were less frequent when the initial operation had been performed before 12 months of age. Latent nystagmus, DVD, inferior oblique overaction and amblyopia were interrelated in a complex fashion.