Yokoyama procedure for a woman with heavy eye syndrome who underwent multiple recession-resection operations: A case report

BACKGROUND: Heavy eye syndrome (HES) is an acquired strabismus typically seen in eyes with high myopia. We report a classic case in which a patient was misdiagnosed with esotropia and underwent disinsertion of the medial rectus muscle and lateral rectus muscle resection procedures. CASE SUMMARY: A 71-year-old woman presented with both eyes fixed in adduction and infraduction for 33 years. She had undergone three complicated strabismus surgeries to amputate the left medial rectus (MR) muscle with lateral rectus muscle recession, but no improvement in the esotropia appeared after each operation. She was diagnosed with HES and underwent a bilateral Yokoyama procedure and recession of the right MR muscle under general anesthesia. After surgery, her eyes were binocularly aligned for 6 mo. This case suggests that pertinacious esotropia combined with high myopia must be considered in HES. Orbital imaging and ultrasonography can demonstrate anatomical abnormality and muscle paths to confirm a definite diagnosis. CONCLUSION: The Yokoyama procedure was effective in correcting HES.