Understanding Duane Syndrome Paper Example

Children can be born with various defects. A genetic disorder causes some of them. This implies that they are brought forth due to anomalies found in the genes of their parents. In other instances, the genetic defects manifest themselves for the first time in the infant. The symptoms of such defects can be observed right from the moment the child is born or later in life. Duane syndrome is characterized by the misalignment of one or both eyes. It can be diagnosed from the moment the child is born or during the first ten years of the child's life (Chew, 1995).

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Strabismus is the scientific term that is used to refer to conditions whereby both eyes fail to focus on an object simultaneously. One eye may focus on the object directly while the other is slightly offset in some direction. If the affected eye turns inward, the condition is called esotropia. If it turns outwards, it is referred to as exotropia. If it is faced upwards, it is referred to as hypertropia. Also, if the affected eye turns downwards, it is referred to as hypotropia. It can be generally seen that strabismus is brought about by weakened eye muscles. Over a long period, if the condition is left untreated, then the person will begin to suffer from amblyopia. Amblyopia is the scientific term used to refer to the 'lazy eye'. The lazy-eye condition develops over some time since the brain cannot cope with the double processing vision. Therefore, it resorts to ignoring the visual input from the misaligned eye.

In the study of defects that affect the eye, strabismus falls under the category of Congenital Cranial Dysinnervation Disorders (CCDDs) (Gutowski, 2003). Since there are many forms of strabismus ailments, Duane syndrome falls under the category of Incomitant Strabismus. Duane syndrome is also called 'Duane retraction syndrome' or Stilling-Turk Duane syndrome (Shauly, 1993). Magnetic Resonance Imaging tests have revealed that Duane syndrome is of neurogenic origins. It tends to be more prominent in females than in males. There are three types of Duane syndrome namely; type one, type two and type three. These types are further classified into subgroups A, B and C.

In order for the brain to perceive and interpret visual input from the eyes, electric signals are sent back and forth between the eye muscles and the brainstem through the 6th cranial nerve. This particular nerve is responsible for controlling the movements of the lateral rectal eye muscle as well as the medial rectus muscle. For people suffering from Duane syndrome, there appears to be a miscommunication between the brain and these two muscles such that a signal may end up reaching a different muscle than the one it was intended for. More often than not, as the two eye muscles fight each other due to the mix up in signals, the medial rectus muscle ends up overpowering the lateral rectus muscle. This causes the eye to retract inwards and hence the name 'Duane retraction syndrome'.

People suffering from Duane syndrome type one cannot move the affected eye towards their ear. This is commonly referred to as abduction. Those who suffer from type two Duane syndrome cannot move the affected eye toward their nose. This is commonly referred to as adduction. Patients suffering from Duane syndrome type three can neither move the affected eye inward nor outward. As a result, adduction and abduction are limited for one or both eyes. It is essential to have an understanding of the symptoms that are investigated during the diagnosis of Duane syndrome.

Very young children may be unable to elucidate the problems that affect their eyesight. However, they manifest ubiquitous signs such as irregular positioning of the head as they attempt to counter the distorted vision caused by the misalignment of one eye or even both. Older children can complain of problems such as severe neck pains, headaches and migraines as well as neck pains. It is therefore advisable for parents to take their children for regular eye checkups so that such ailments can be appropriately managed.

Duane syndrome does not cause blindness or lead to fatal health complications. However, in sporadic cases, studies have found out that it can be an underlying cause for ear and kidney problems. Furthermore, it may also affect the nervous system of the patient. Since there is no cure for Duane retraction syndrome, doctors recommend a few forms of treatment that are intended to lessen the misalignment of the eye.

Conclusion

Vision therapy is recommended for babies under five years. This helps them to master how to reduce double vision by training both eyes to focus on one particular object simultaneously. Doctors can also recommend prescription glasses or contact lenses. Prismatic glasses provide the best results when used to treat Duane syndrome. Surgery is usually carried out to correct severe cases of strabismus such as unacceptable upshoot and down shot of the affected eye. It may also be used to correct unacceptable head posture. This is usually achieved by proper adjustment of the palpebral fissure tissue.

References

Baroncini, A., Bertuzzo, S., Quarantini, R., Ricciardelli, P., Giorda, R., & Bonaglia, M. C. (2013). 8q12 microduplication including CHD7: a clinical report on a new patient with Duane retraction syndrome type 3. Molecular Cytogenetics, 6(1), 49. Retrieved from (https://molecularcytogenetics.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1755-8166-6-49)

Gutowski, N. J., Bosley, T. M., & Engle, E. C. (2003). 110th ENMC International Workshop: the congenital cranial dysinnervation disorders (CCDDs): Naarden, The Netherlands, 25-27 October 2002. Neuromuscular disorders, 13(7), 573-578. Retrieved from (https://www.nmd-journal.com/article/S0960-8966(03)00043-9/abstract)

Chew, C. K., Foster, P., Hurst, J. A., & Salmon, J. F. (1995). Duane's retraction syndrome associated with chromosome 4q27-31 segment deletion. American journal of ophthalmology, 119(6), 807-809. Retrieved from (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002939414727953)

Shauly, Y., Weissman, A., & Meyer, E. (1993). Ocular and systemic characteristics of Duane syndrome. Journal of paediatric ophthalmology and Strabismus, 30(3), 178-183. Retrieved from (https://www.healio.com/ophthalmology/journals/jpos/1993-5-30-3/%7B296ee7c2-d67b-4b33-962a-a65cd2838fdf%7D/ocular-and-systemic-characteristics-of-duane-syndrome)