Persistent unilateral or bilateral visual deprivation at any age, particularly in children, can compromise sensory fusion and result in a type of strabismus known as sensory or secondary strabismus. There are several pathologies that can induce visual impairment, such as severe anisometropia, congenital unilateral cataract, corneal opacity, retinal diseases, and optic nerve anomalies. Sensory strabismus may be horizontal or vertical or a combination of them; however, most reports indicate the development of horizontal deviation as sensory strabismus. Regardless of the direction of the sensory strabismus, early diagnosis and management of the underlying pathology are important before strabismus treatment. The primary treatment approach for patients with sensory strabismus is surgery to correct ocular misalignment and straighten the eyes. This can help to improve the patients' symptoms and diminish the negative psychosocial impacts. In this article, we review the underlying etiologies and background pathologies associated with sensory strabismus. In addition, we investigate the determinant factors of the direction of sensory strabismus and its management strategies.
Keywords: Sensory strabismus; secondary strabismus; sensory esotropia; sensory exotropia; sensory heterotropia.