Objectives:

Describe some clinical characteristics of large-angle exotropia and determine its surgical outcome.

Methods:

A retrospective descriptive study was conducted of 35 patients attending Cuba-Algeria Friendship Ophthalmological Hospital in the wilayah of Ouargla, Algeria, from January 2014 to December 2017. Analysis was carried out of variables related to exotropia, such as the patients' age, sex, skin color, associated ophthalmological alterations, degree of amblyopia, associated refractive defect, pre- and post-operative angle of deviation, and type of surgery performed.

Results:

The 24-29 year age group prevailed with 25.7 %; 51.4 % of the patients were female; black skin color was the most common with 48.6 %; eyelid ptosis represented 11.4 % of the associated ophthalmological alterations and 68.6 % without alteration; moderate amblyopia was present in 42.9 % of the cases; the most frequent refractive defect was myopic astigmatism with 37.1 %; the most significant preoperative angle of deviation was found in the 71-80 diopter group with 37.2 %. Three months after surgery, 91.4 % of the patients were orthophoria (± 8 diopters) and at one year 94.3 % remained orthophoria. Bilateral lateral rectus muscle recession (10.0 mm) plus resection of a medial rectus muscle (7 mm) was achieved in 37.2 % of the patients.

Conclusions:

Practically all patients achieved ocular alignment and improved their visual quality.

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