Congenital nystagmus may present in which forms?

• A. It may present in a jerk or pendular form
• B. It may present as jerk only
• C. It may present as pendular only
• D. It never presents in jerk or pendular form

Answer: (A)

Congenital nystagmus can show up with two different waveforms. In jerk nystagmus, the eye drifts slowly in one direction and is quickly reset by a fast push in the opposite direction. In pendular nystagmus, the eyes move smoothly back and forth with equal velocity in both directions and without a distinct fast phase. Both forms can be seen in congenital cases, and some patients may even exhibit pattern variation with gaze. Therefore, the best description is that congenital nystagmus may present in either jerk or pendular form. It’s not limited to one form, and it certainly isn’t impossible for it to take either pattern.