Long-Term Study of Levodopa/Carbidopa for Refractory Childhood Amblyopia.
10.3341/jkos.2009.50.11.1692
- Author:
Young Ho KIM
1
;
Seong Beom KO
;
Yoonae A CHO
;
Seung Hyun KIM
Author Information
1. Department of Ophthalmology, Korea University College of Medicine, Ansan, Korea. ansaneye@hanmail.net
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Amblyopia;
L-dopa
- MeSH:
Amblyopia;
Child;
Eye;
Follow-Up Studies;
Humans;
Informed Consent;
Levodopa;
Parents;
Visual Acuity
- From:Journal of the Korean Ophthalmological Society
2009;50(11):1692-1697
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
PURPOSE: To evaluate the long-term (12 to 30 months) effect of L-dopa with part-time occlusion in patients in which occlusion therapy failed. METHODS: Seventeen eyes of 12 amblyopic children who failed with part-time occlusion (4 to 8 hours/day) treatment for a minimum period of 6 months were studied. The follow-up period was 12 to 30 months. The average best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) before treatment was 0.28+/-0.20 (0.05-0.5). After full informed consent was obtained from their parents, the children received levodopa (2 to 4 mg/kg) for 8 weeks combined with part-time occlusion and spectacles. RESULTS: The average age of the subjects was 7.0+/-2.7 years and the mean follow-up period was 23.7+/-7.7 (12 to 30) months. After the administration of levodopa for 8 weeks, 9 eyes (53%) showed improvement in BCVA, and only 4 eyes showing a mean regression of 0.20+/-0.11 logMAR visual acuities. The BCVA reached the maximum value after a mean of 8.47 months. After 8 weeks from baseline, 13 eyes (76%) reached the maximum BCVA. After 12 to 30 months of follow-up, 12 out of 17 eyes (70.6%) showed a BCVA improvement of 0.14+/-0.19 logMAR. CONCLUSIONS: After the long-term (12 to 30 months) follow-up, L-dopa with part-time occlusion in patients in which occlusion therapy failed showed improved visual acuities in 76% of the cases.
