Congenital Absence of the Superior Oblique Tendon in Craniofacial Dysostosis

Abstract

Absence of each of the extraocular muscles as a rare cause of strabismus has been reported. Helveston suggests that a significant horizontal deviation with suppression and/or amblyopia in a patient with the preoperative diagnosis of congenital superior oblique palsy should alert one to a possible absence of the superior oblique tendon. We present and discuss two patients with craniofacial dysostosis in whom extensive surgical exploration showed an absence of the superior oblique tendon.