Clinical Analysis of Successfully Treated Amblyopia with Anisometropia, Strabismis, and Combined Cause

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the duration of therapy in amblyopic children with anisometropia and/or strabismus who had been successfully treated with a best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of 1.0. Methods: The duration of amblyopic treatment was compared according to the cause of amblyopia (anisometropia, strabismus, combined), the initial BCVA of amblyopic eye, the age at treatment, and the prediction of a further duration of treatment needed. Results: The mean age of amblyopic treatment in 66 amblyopic children with anisometropia and strabismus was 5.4 years and the mean duration of treatment to gain BCVA of 1.0 was 15.9 months. The duration of treatment was longer in children with initially poorer BCVA and in younger aged children than in older aged children at diagnosis. However, there was no statistical significance according to the cause of amblyopia. In occlusion therapy, the patching time from the initial BCVA to 1.0 was not statistically different from the patching time from the midpoint VA (between the initial visual acuity and 1.0) to 1.0. Conclusions: The duration of treatment to gain a VA of 1.0 was dependent on the degree of the initial BCVA in the amblyopic eye and the age at treatment. In occlusion therapy, the duration of further treatment to gain a BCVA of 1.0 was necessary as much as the duration to gain a midpoint VA from the initial BCVA.