Infantile esotropia with nystagmus: A treatable cause of oscillatory head movements in children

Objective: To document the resolution of oscillatory head movements following surgical realignment of the eyes in children with infantile esotropia and nystagmus. Method: Retrospective review of 3 children who had infantile esotropia, nystagmus, and unexplained head shaking or head nodding. Results: Strabismus surgery restored ocular alignment and produced resolution of the head shaking in all patients. In 1 patient, head shaking accompanied recurrence of the esotropia and again resolved following surgical realignment of the eyes. Conclusions: Head shaking or head nodding can rarely be associated with infantile esotropia and nystagmus. In this syndrome, surgical realignment of the eyes may produce simultaneous resolution of the head oscillations.