Treatment Outcomes and Clinical Characteristics in Children with Amblyopia at Naresuan University

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the visual outcomes of amblyopia treatment and identify the characteristics of children with newly diagnosed amblyopia.Material and Methods: This is a retrospective study of children newly diagnosed with amblyopia from January 2016 to December 2019. The assessments consisted of visual acuity (VA) during amblyopia treatment, and treatment effects related to age, gender, type of amblyopia, baseline Logarithm of the Minimum Angle of Resolution visual acuity (LogMAR VA), and treatment compliance. Good outcome was defined as having a best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) with a ≥2 Snellen line improvement or a ≥20/30 VA (0.17 LogMAR) in the amblyopic eye.Results: There were 116 amblyopic eyes, corresponding to 89 children, enrolled in the study. The most common cause of the disorder was refractive amblyopia. The mean baseline BCVA was 0.81±0.05 LogMAR. Sixty-four amblyopic eyes (55.2%) had a good treatment outcome, with a mean time for improvement of 13.61±7.89 months. The multivariable analysis in the good outcome group revealed that an age ranging from 5 to 8 years (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]=23.72, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.68 to 333.99) and good treatment compliance (aOR=43.09, 95% CI: 2.27-817.97) were more likely to lead to a good outcome.Conclusion: Amblyopia has the potential to improve with early treatment and good compliance. Early detection and increased care may be necessary in patients who are non-compliant in order to achieve the best possible therapeutic outcome.