Efficacy of Occlusion Therapy in Amblyopia Patients Older than 9 Years of Age.
- Author:
Jae Kyoun AHN
1
;
Jeong Min HWANG
Author Information
1. Department of Ophthalmology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Age 9;
Amblyopia;
Occlusion therapy;
Sensitive period;
Visual acuity
- MeSH:
Amblyopia*;
Anisometropia;
Astigmatism;
Compliance;
Exotropia;
Eyeglasses;
Follow-Up Studies;
Glass;
Humans;
Refractive Errors;
Retrospective Studies;
Strabismus;
Visual Acuity
- From:Journal of the Korean Ophthalmological Society
2002;43(9):1724-1729
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of occlusion therapy in amblyopia patients older than 9 years of age. METHODS: A retrospective study on 16 amblyopes older than 9 years was performed to evaluate initial best-corrected visual acuity, final best-corrected visual acuity, the type of amblyopia, and compliance. RESULTS: The average age at initiation of amblyopia therapy was 10.5 years and the average follow-up 24 months. Anisometropia was present in 11 patients, strabismus in 2, and both anisometropia and strabismus in 3 patients. The initial visual acuity was 0.2 or less in three, 0.3 to 0.5 in seven, 0.6 to 0.7 in six patients. The refractive errors of amblyopic eye were myopic in seven, hyperopic in seven and astigmatism in two patients. The amount of anisometropia was 2.56 diopters. Strabismus was exotropia in 5 patients. Initial therapy consisted of optical correction for the amblyopic eye and full-time occlusion for the nonamblyopic eye in 14, and part-time occlusion in two patients. Maintenance therapy of part-time occlusion with a patch in 11 patients and with Min's glasses in 3 patients followed improvement of visual acuity. Fifteen out of 16 patients improved their visual acuity over 3 lines of visual acuity and one remaining patient showed poor compliance. Final visual acuities were 0.7 or better in 14 patients, and 0.5 and 0.4 in each remained patient. CONCLUSIONS: Given compliance, occlusion therapy for anisometropic and strabismic amblyopia can be successful even if started after 9 years of age.
