Self-correcting amblyopia: case report

Julie D Senior,Anna R O’Connor

doi:10.22599/bioj.43

Abstract

Aim: To report an interesting case of amblyopia in a child with a previous history of constant left strabismus and amblyopia treated with occlusion, who subsequently sustained an injury to the nonamblyopic eye. Methods: The case is presented of a 12-year-old child who injured his fixing right eye after falling from a chair onto the corner of a computer table. Ophthalmic and orthoptic findings are documented. Results: The child presented to the accident and emergency department, after transfer from another Trust, with an acute history of right eye penetrating injury. Examination revealed a superior corneal laceration which required surgical repair. Seven months after a successful corneal repair the patient was noted to be turning his head to the right when reading. Orthoptic examination revealed a change in fixation and an increase in visual acuity in the previously amblyopic eye from 6/12 to 6/6 þ 2 Snellen. Conclusions: The period of improvement of vision from amblyopia can extend beyond what was previously thought to be the limit for positive change. Despite previous treatment of amblyopia a spontaneous increase in visual acuity occurred and was maintained even when acuity was restored in the nonamblyopic eye.

Highlights

Strabismic amblyopia is treated primarily with occlusion of the unaffected eye after the correction of any refractive error and this is still the main choice of treatment for amblyopia.[1]
Amblyopia treatment is thought to be most effective during early childhood, with efficacy of treatment decreasing as a function of age.[6]
The response to amblyopia therapy, with the notion that age at the start of occlusion therapy is influential on the length of treatment, remains pivotal

Summary

Introduction

Strabismic amblyopia is treated primarily with occlusion of the unaffected eye after the correction of any refractive error and this is still the main choice of treatment for amblyopia.[1]. The reversibility of amblyopia depends upon the ability of the visual system to recover at a time when it is still adaptable.[2,3] Strabismus and anisometropia influence the visual system at different times of development and whilst. The sensitive period is the time when amblyopia can occur. The recovery period is the time during which the visual system can still recover. This case report is about a child who, having had amblyopia diagnosed and treated with partial success, later, due to injury to the non-amblyopic eye, presented again at the orthoptic department

Initial presentation

Discussion