What you need to know about assessing a patient with diplopia

Abstract

Diplopia occurs when two images are subjectively seen of a single object. It has a variety of causes, which range in severity from benign to sight or life threatening if left untreated. Clinical assessment of diplopia includes taking a comprehensive history to delineate the exact type of visual disturbance experienced by the patient and examination to pinpoint the aetiology, which is crucial for further management. This article discusses the causes of diplopia, along with risk factors and other associated symptoms, to facilitate diagnosis and management. Efficient and effective diagnosis is important, as some pathologies require immediate treatment to save the eyesight and/or life of the patient. This article will concentrate solely on binocular diplopia.