Efficacy of Occlusion Treatment in Amblyopia and Clinical Risk Factors Affecting the Results of Treatment

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the factors influencing visual outcome in strabismic, strabismic-anisometropic and anisometropic amblyopia following occlusion treatment. Methods: Records of 128 pediatric patients who had been treated for amblyopia by occlusion of the fellow eye between March 1992 and March 2003 were reviewed retrospectively. Age and level of visual acuity at initiation of treatment, occlusion time (full-time, part-time or minimal) and type of amblyopia were analyzed for the effect on visual outcome. Results: The mean age of the patients was 5.69 ± 2.01 years (3 to 12 years). Mean follow-up time was 3 years 2 months (6 months to 10 years). Mean visual acuity improvements were similar for the subtypes of amblyopia (strabismic amblyopia 0.38 ± 0.29 logMAR units, strabismic-anisometropic amblyopia 0.46 ± 0.40 logMAR units, anisometropic amblyopia 0.35 ± 0.24 logMAR units). Level of initial visual acuity, age at initiation of treatment and type of occlusion correlated with the final visual acuity (p = 0.000, p = 0.035, p = 0.012, respectively). When the analysis was performed according to the subtypes of amblyopia, initial visual acuity was the only factor associated with the final visual acuity in all types of amblyopia (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The level of initial visual acuity is the most significant factor determining the success of treatment in amblyopia.

KEYWORDS:

• Amblyopia
• occlusion treatment
• visual acuity
• strabismus
• anisometropia
• pediatric ophthalmology