Childhood esotropia with delayed appearance of cerebellar tumor

Abstract

In patients with acquired strabismus due to brain tumor, clinical evidence of the tumor is usually present at the time of or shortly after the onset of the ocular deviation. In the case reported here, a ten-year-old developed an esodeviation and had negative neurologic and neuroradiologic evaluations. Successful surgical repair was carried out ten months after the appearance of strabismus. Clinical signs leading to a diagnosis of brain tumor (medulloblastoma) appeared 18 months after surgery (28 months after the onset of diplopia). There are no similar reports in the literature of prolonged interval between ocular symptoms and neurologic diagnosis. This case indicates that periodic neurologic reevaluations are necessary in children with acquired strabismus even after successful surgical correction.