Congenital oculomotor apraxia. Presentation--developmental problems--differential diagnosis

Abstract

Congenital oculomotor apraxia (COMA) was initially defined by Cogan in 1952. In this condition voluntary horizontal saccades cannot be generated, while slow horizontal pursuit movements and vertical eye movements are intact. Affected infants usually present with delayed visual and/or psychomotor development or may even appear to be blind. In the second half of the first year "compensatory" head thrust movements become apparent. While the oculomotor abnormalities tend to improve with increasing age most affected children have delayed motor and speech development. The cognitive development is commonly impaired and many children require a special scholastic education. In our personal series of 9 children we have found variable and nonspecific neuroradiological findings, including cerebellar hypoplasia, hypoplasia of corpus callosum and grey matter heterotopias. COMA has to be differentiated from acquired forms of ocular apraxia as seen in Morbus Gaucher type 3, ataxia teleangiectasia and Morbus Leigh.