Abnormal Head Postures: A Review
Patients frequently present with abnormal head postures including face turns, head tilts, and chin elevation or depression. These may be related to an ocular or non ocular cause. Since the etiology is not always obvious, these patients must be carefully evaluated. Most patients adopt head postures to avoid diplopia caused by incomitant strabismus. Treatment addresses the underlying strabismus, aligning the eyes in primary position and optimizing the field of single binocular vision. For those with nystagmus, treatment often involves placing the eyes into the null point. Less common causes of ocular torticollis include compensation for refractive errors, visual field defects, eyelid anomalies and cosmetic reasons.