Purpose: To study ocular findings in patients with meningomyelocele. Methods: A retrospective study of 72 patients with myelomeningocele was performed to evaluate ocular motility disorders, refractive errors and indirect ophthalmoscopy findings. Results: In a group of 72 patients with myelomeningocele, aged 5 month -- 18 years, 64 (88.9%) had hydrocephalus. Of this group of 64 patients, 36 (56.3%) had strabismus, 21 (58.3%) of whom were esotropic, and 13 (36.1%) exotropic, 1 (2.8%) exophoric and 1 (2.8%) presented sometimes esotropia and sometimes exotropia. Of the total of 72 studied patients, 38 (52.8%) had strabismus. Anisotropia was found in 16 (22.2%) patients, 14 (87.5%) with an A pattern and 2 (12.5%) with a V pattern. The most frequent refractive error was hyperopia, found in 64 (44.4%) eyes. All the 16 patients with anisotropia had hydrocephalus. Atrophy of the optic nerve was found in 9 (12.5%) patients. Conclusion: Myelomeningocele associated with hydrocephalus had a higher percentage of strabismus than the normal population.
Myelomeningocele; Hydrocephalus; Strabismus
