title: Awareness of exodeviation in children with intermittent exotropia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe how children with intermittent exotropia (IXT) are aware of their exodeviation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-four children with IXT, aged 5 to 17 years, median 10.5 years, were recruited. Individual interviews with the children were audiotaped and transcribed. Interviews were based on 10 open-ended questions and discussion was encouraged. Transcripts were reviewed to identify phrases describing the child's awareness of the exodeviation as distinct from phrases describing the way intermittent exotropia affects their quality of life. Phrases were reviewed to identify specific topic areas and the type and frequency of topics were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nineteen (79%) of 24 children expressed awareness of the exodeviation. One hundred twenty phrases were extracted and 18 topic areas identified. The most frequently mentioned topics were comments from others (15 [63%] of 24), general awareness of deviation (10 [42%] of 24), ocular sensation (10 [42%] of 24), and correction of exodeviation by blinking (7 [29%] of 24).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our study, most patients with IXT were aware of their eye condition, but patient experience varied. In individual interviews, children described awareness of their eye condition mainly due to comments from others. Awareness of ability to correct the exodeviation by blinking was common and may be related to mechanisms used to control IXT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Sarah R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Hatt
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Leske
authors.forename: Jonathan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Holmes
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001364:Awareness; D001767:Blinking; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005099:Exotropia / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D012677:Sensation
references.citation: Am J Optom Physiol Opt. 1986 Dec;63(12):981-4
references.pmid: 3799812
references.citation: Percept Mot Skills. 1992 Jun;74(3 Pt 2):1168-70
references.pmid: 1501986
references.citation: Br J Ophthalmol. 1959 Jul;43:435-7
references.pmid: 13850233
references.citation: J AAPOS. 2001 Dec;5(6):361-6
references.pmid: 11753256
references.citation: Binocul Vis Strabismus Q. 2003;18(4):209-16
references.pmid: 14653774
references.citation: Arch Ophthalmol. 1988 Jul;106(7):941-2
references.pmid: 3390058
references.citation: J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 2007 May-Jun;44(3):153-7; quiz 178-9
references.pmid: 17542436
references.citation: Arch Ophthalmol. 2008 Nov;126(11):1525-9
references.pmid: 19001219
references.citation: Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2007 Jan 03;5:1
references.pmid: 17201920
references.citation: Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 1987 Feb;28(2):334-42
references.pmid: 8591916
references.citation: J Neurophysiol. 2002 Sep;88(3):1220-33
references.pmid: 12205143
references.citation: J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 1990 Jan-Feb;27(1):16-20; discussion 21-2
references.pmid: 2324913
references.citation: Ophthalmology. 2008 Feb;115(2):371-376.e2
references.pmid: 17629562
references.citation: Strabismus. 2006 Sep;14(3):147-50
references.pmid: 16950743
references.citation: Am J Optom Physiol Opt. 1979 Jul;56(7):422-9
references.pmid: 517633
references.citation: Am J Optom Arch Am Acad Optom. 1968 Jul;45(7):465-71
references.pmid: 5243950
references.citation: Ophthalmology. 2001 Sep;108(9):1556-61
references.pmid: 11535449