Intermittent exotropia is a type of strabismus between exophoria and constant exotropia, which is the most common exotropia. The onset age is usually six months to four years old. Different from other types of strabismus, intermittent exotropia can maintain normal binocular vision in a long period of time. So how to choose the optimal timing and effective treatment is a challenge for clinicians, meanwhile they hold different views about the choice of surgical approach and postoperative results. The objective of this article is to review the intermittent exotropia, including the pathogenesis and clinical features, the timing of surgery and surgical methods, and to provide reference for the treatment of intermittent exotropia.