Ace the COT Challenge 2026 – Shine Bright as a Certified Ophthalmic Technician!

A deviation that is present with both eyes uncovered is categorized as a tropia. Tropia refers to a constant misalignment of the eyes, where one eye is turned in a different direction compared to the other, and this misalignment is observable at all times, regardless of whether the patient is focusing on something or not.

For example, if a patient is instructed to look straight ahead and one eye is consistently turned inwards while the other is looking straight, this indicates a tropia. This condition can affect binocular vision and needs to be evaluated and treated appropriately, as it can lead to issues such as amblyopia if not addressed.

The other possible categories are less applicable in this context. Phoria refers to a latent misalignment that typically occurs when both eyes are covered or when focusing on a near object - it is not manifest when both eyes are open and looking at an object. Suppression involves the brain disregarding the input from one eye to avoid double vision, which doesn't describe the constant deviation present with both eyes uncovered. Strabismus is a broader term that covers both tropia and phoria but is often used interchangeably with tropia in discussions about observable deviations. However, in this specific question, the presence of the deviation with