ocular flutter

Full Definition

An abnormal eye movement disorder characterized by brief bursts of horizontal saccadic oscillations that occur spontaneously without intersaccadic intervals. The eyes oscillate back-and-forth rapidly around the fixation point, typically lasting seconds to minutes. Associated with cerebellar dysfunction, paraneoplastic syndromes, or brainstem encephalitis. Distinguished from opsoclonus by the purely horizontal nature of the movements and from square-wave jerks by the lack of intersaccadic intervals.

Usage

Usage note: Do not hyphenate as a noun; distinguish from other saccadic oscillations in documentation.

In Context

• "The patient's ocular flutter improved following treatment of the underlying paraneoplastic syndrome." — Neuro-oncology consultation
• "Video recording confirmed ocular flutter rather than square-wave jerks during fixation attempts." — Oculomotor laboratory report