Large esophoria

[neo206]

As there are different types of esophoria: 1) convergent excess 2) divergent weakness 3) non-specific.

What are the effects on visual acuity for each of the above for a large esophoria? (For example, would convergent excess result in decreased near visual acuity with normal distant visual acuity, and the opposite would apply for divergent weakness, or have I got this the wrong way round?)

Thanks for your help!

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

None of these affect visual accuity (unles they cause amblyopia).

Convergent excess will more likely cause problems at near, divergence weakness at distance.  A phoria is by definitis eyes that are straight until the eye is covered and fusion broken. If it is slipping out of line and causing double vision then it would be an esotropia.

JCH MD

[JodieJ]

I'm not an eye care professional but I did have esophoria which decompensated to a small angle esotropia (until it was fixed with surgery).  Before surgery, it caused intermittent double vision at distance but had no effect on my acuity at either near or distance.  It's my understanding that esophoria/esotropia relate to an eye misalignment but not to acuity.