Q: My 10 years old daughter has had flicker in her eyelid when she looks at something too close to her face since she was a toddler. The lid moves and her eyeball seems to go inside more than the other eye. Her eyesight seems to be fine and has been checked regularly. However, it is not a sleepy lid nor does she have a squint. Can ptosis cause something like this where actually the eyelid or eyeball would behave like that? Please advice.

A:There is a group of conditions called Duane's retraction syndrome, which fits into what you are describing. Do see an eye surgeon, and he will offer the best advice. Some of the conditions are operable while others don’t need any treatment. The eye goes in due to co-contraction of opposing muscles, and is due to wrong innervation of eye muscles.