Six muscles  control eye movement, four that move the eye up and down and two that move it left and right. All these muscles must be coordinated and working properly for the brain to see a single image. When one or more of these muscles does not work properly, some form of strabismus may occur. Strabismus is more common in children with disorders that affect the brain such as cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, hydrocephalus, and brain tumors. One study has found that children with exotropia are three times more likely to develop a psychiatric disorder in comparison with the general population. Treatment
A comprehensive eye examination including an ocular motility (i.e., eye movement) evaluation and an evaluation of the internal ocular structures allows an eye doctor to accurately diagnose exotropia. Although glasses and/or patching therapy, exercises, or prisms may reduce or help control the outward-turning eye in some children, surgery is often required. A common form of exotropia is known as "convergence insufficiency" that responds well to orthoptic vision therapy including exercises. This disorder is characterized by an inability of the eyes to work together when used for near viewing, such as reading. Instead of the eyes focusing together on the near object, one deviates outward. Consecutive exotropia arises after an initial esotropia. Most often it results from surgical overcorrection of the initial esotropia. It can be addressed with further surgery or with vision therapy; vision therapy has shown promising results if the consecutive exotropia is intermittent, alternating, and of small magnitude.
Exotropia is a form of strabismus where the eyes are deviated outward. It is the opposite of esotropia and usually involves more severe axis deviation than exophoria. People with exotropia often experience crossed diplopia. Intermittent exotropia is a fairly common condition. "Sensory exotropia" occurs in the presence of poor vision in one eye. Infantile exotropia (sometimes called "congenital exotropia") is seen during the first year of life, and is less common than "essential exotropia" which usually becomes apparent several years later. The brains ability to see three-dimensional objects depends on proper alignment of the eyes. When both eyes are properly aligned and aimed at the same target, the visual portion of the brain fuses the two forms from the two eyes into a single image. When one eye turns inward, outward, upward, or downward, two different pictures are sent to the brain. Thus, the brain can no longer fuse the two images coming from the two eyes. This causes loss of depth perception and binocular vision. The term is from Greek exo meaning "outward" and trope meaning "a turning". Signs and symptoms
The earliest sign of exotropia is usually a noticeable outward deviation of the eye. This sign may at first be intermittent, occurring when a child is daydreaming, not feeling well, or tired. It may also be more noticeable when the child looks at something in the distance. Squinting or frequent rubbing of the eyes is also common with exotropia. The child probably will not mention seeing double, i.e., double vision or diplopia.