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Causes
By Mayo Clinic staffAnything that blurs a child's vision or causes the eyes to cross or turn out may cause lazy eye. Some of the more common causes include:
- Strabismus. The most common cause of lazy eye is strabismus — an imbalance in the muscles responsible for positioning of the eyes. This imbalance can cause the eyes to cross in or turn out. The muscle imbalance prevents the eyes from tracking in a coordinated way with each other.
- Anatomic or structural abnormality of the eye. Sometimes lazy eye is the result of an abnormality, such as an abnormal central retina or a cloudy area in the lens of the eye (cataract). In other cases, an abnormal eye shape or a size difference between the eyes contributes to lazy eye.
- Tumor. Occasionally, a wandering eye is the first sign of an eye tumor.
References
- Facts about amblyopia. The National Eye Institute. http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/amblyopia/amblyopia_guide.asp. Accessed Sept. 27, 2010.
- Coats DK. Overview of amblyopia. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Sept. 27, 2010.
- Noshi NR, et al. Amblyopia. American Family Physician. 2007;75:361.
- Screening for visual impairment in children younger than age 5 years. U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/3rduspstf/visionscr/vischrs.htm. Accessed Sept. 27, 2010.
- Koby M. Amblyopia. In: Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2011. St. Louis, Mo.: Mosby; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?sid=1058443637&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05610-6..00010-X--sc0130&isbn=978-0-323-05610-6&type=bookPage§ionEid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05610-6..00010-X--sc0130&uniqId=219913719-4. Accessed Sept. 27, 2010.
- Robertson DM (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Sept. 29, 2010.
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