The Effects of Occlusion Therapy in Patients With Anisometropic Amblyopia Aged 8 Years and Older

Abstract

Purpose: To compare the effects of full-time and part-time occlusion therapy in patients who had been diagnosed with anisometropic amblyopia after age eight and have begun treatment. Methods: We included patients eight years old or older who had been diagnosed with anisometropic amblyopia. They were treated with full-time or part-time occlusion therapy and followed up for at least six months. Treatment was considered successful when visual acuity was increased by two lines or more. Results: There were 26 total patients. There were 14 part-time and 12 full-time occlusion therapy patients in the respective groups. Visual acuity for the amblyopic eyes was significantly improved while the non-amblyopic eyes did not show any significant differences after the treatment. The changes in the visual acuity were significantly larger for the full-time treatment group compared to the part-time treatment group. The full-time occlusion group showed a significant difference in visual acuity of the amblyopic eyes after treatment. Lower visual acuity of an amblyopic eye at the first visit led to a greater improvement in visual acuity after the treatment. Conclusions: With good compliance, occlusion therapy for anisometropic amblyopia can be successful even if it is initiated after eight years of age.