Diplopia (Double Vision)

The patient with double vision (diplopia) sees two images of a single object. Usually, double vision in these patients only occurs when they look with both eyes simultaneously (binocular), and disappears when they close one eye (it does not matter which one).

The patient with diplopia faces many daily problems (difficulty in balance and movement, eye-hand coordination, driving etc.).

Diplopia occurs when the eyes do not both focus on the same target/object. Rarely, monocular diplopia occurs due to the existence of diseases in one eye.

The main causes of binocular diplopia are:

• Viral

• Injuries (skull, eyes, ocular muscles)

• Diseases of the brain (infections, tumors, aneurysms etc.)

• Vascular diseases

• Myopathies

• Derangement of the mechanisms matching the two images

For every patient with diplopia, a complete eye, neurological, and neuroimaging examination (magnetic or computed tomography) are required.
The therapeutic intervention varies depending on the cause.