Objective: This study described the clinical profile and outcomes of patients with ocular dermoid cysts at a subspecialty Ophthalmology clinic of the Philippine General Hospital (PGH). Methods: Medical records of 38 patients seen at the External Disease & Cornea Clinic from January 2012 to June 2023 were reviewed. Demographics, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), refraction, other associated malformations, and dermoid characteristics were collected. For those that underwent surgery, the procedures performed and histopathology reports were reviewed. Most recent refraction, BCVA, presence of amblyopia, recurrence, and complications were recorded. Results: Mean age at presentation was 8.33 years old with equal male:female distribution (52% vs 48%). Thirtyfour (34) participants (89.5%) had unilateral dermoids and 4 participants (10.5%) had bilateral dermoids, for a total of 42 eyes. Thirty-five (35) or 83.3% of the dermoids were located at the inferotemporal quadrant of the cornea. There were 42.1% participants who had associated congenital anomalies, with dermolipoma and preauricular tags being the most common ocular and craniofacial findings, respectively. Twenty-seven (27) eyes (64.2%) underwent surgery and the most common procedure was excision with limbal conjunctival autograft (55.6%). In the 8 eyes that underwent simple excision, recurrence of the dermoid was seen in 1 patient and development of pseudopterygium in 5 patients. Dermoid was the histopathological diagnosis in 96.3% of the excised tissues. Twenty-four (24) patients (63.2%) presented with ambylopia with BCVA <20/30, and regardless of type of intervention done, only 7 participants (23.3%) had a visual acuity better than 20/30 during their latest consult. Conclusion Ocular dermoid is a common congential anomaly usually presenting as an isolated, unilateral mass at the inferotemporal limbal area. Aside from the obvious effect on the cosmetic appearance of the eye, a more pressing concern is the high incidence of amblyopia. Timely excision with limbal conjunctival autograft is highly recommended coupled with aggressive amblyopia therapy.
Recurrence ; Amblyopia

Amblyopia is a visual development deficit caused by abnormal visual experience in early life, mainly manifesting as defected visual acuity and binocular visual impairment, which is considered to reflect abnormal development of the brain rather than organic lesions of the eye. Previous studies have reported abnormal spontaneous brain activity in patients with amblyopia. However, the location of abnormal spontaneous activity in patients with amblyopia and the association between abnormal brain function activity and clinical deficits remain unclear. The purpose of this study is to analyze spontaneous brain functional activity abnormalities in patients with amblyopia and their associations with clinical defects using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data. In this study, 31 patients with amblyopia and 31 healthy controls were enrolled for resting-state fMRI scanning. The results showed that spontaneous activity in the right angular gyrus, left posterior cerebellum, and left cingulate gyrus were significantly lower in patients with amblyopia than in controls, and spontaneous activity in the right middle temporal gyrus was significantly higher in patients with amblyopia. In addition, the spontaneous activity of the left cerebellum in patients with amblyopia was negatively associated with the best-corrected visual acuity of the amblyopic eye, and the spontaneous activity of the right middle temporal gyrus was positively associated with the stereoacuity. This study found that adult patients with amblyopia showed abnormal spontaneous activity in the angular gyrus, cerebellum, middle temporal gyrus, and cingulate gyrus. Furthermore, the functional abnormalities in the cerebellum and middle temporal gyrus may be associated with visual acuity defects and stereopsis deficiency in patients with amblyopia. These findings help explain the neural mechanism of amblyopia, thus promoting the improvement of the treatment strategy for amblyopia.
Adult ; Amblyopia/pathology* ; Brain ; Brain Mapping ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods* ; Visual Acuity

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of acupoint thread METHODS: A total of 60 children with refractive amblyopia were randomized into an observation group (30 cases, 2 cases dropped off) and a control group (30 cases, 1 case dropped off). In the control group, comprehensive therapy of eye covering of intact side and family refined performance was adopted. On the basis of the treatment in the control group, acupoint thread RESULTS: After treatment, the corrected vision was increased compared before treatment in the both groups ( CONCLUSION Acupoint thread
Acupuncture Points ; Amblyopia/therapy* ; Child ; Humans ; Retina ; Vision, Ocular ; Visual Acuity

Background: Optical coherence tomography (OCT) can accurately assess the optic nerve and retinal fiber layer (RNFL) to closely look at the anatomical ocular pathology of amblyopia. Objectives: This study aimed to determine and compare optic nerve parameters and RNFL in amblyopic and normal Filipino children using OCT. Methodology: Forty-two eyes of 21 normal participants and 40 eyes of 20 amblyopic participants underwent complete eye examinations and OCT scanning of optic nerve and RNFL. The following data were collected: age, refraction, intraocular pressure, optic nerve parameters (including rim area-vertical cross-section, average nerve width, disc diameter, cup diameter, rim length, vertical integrated rim area, horizontal integrated rim width, disc area, rim area, cup area, cup to disk area ratio, cup-to-disk horizontal ratio, cup to disc vertical ratio), and peripapillary RNFL. Results: There was a statistically significant difference between normal and amblyopic groups with regard to the following parameters: cup area, rim area, cup-disc area ratio, cup-disc horizontal ratio, cup-disc vertical ratio, superior RNFL, and inferior RNFL. The rim area was significantly smaller in amblyopic eyes compared to normal whereas the cup-disc area ratio, cup area, cup-disc vertical and horizontal ratios were significantly larger in amblyopic eyes. The RNFL inferiorly and superiorly were also thinner in amblyopic eyes. Conclusion As measured by OCT, some optic nerve parameters and RNFL thickness in Filipino children were significantly different in amblyopic eyes compared to normal.
Optic Nerve ; Amblyopia

Objective: To describe the clinical profile of patients with amblyopia seen at a Philippine tertiary hospital. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study utilizing a chart review of children ages 6 months to 18 years old diagnosed with amblyopia at a Philippine tertiary hospital. Records with complete entry of history and ocular examinations were included. Verbal children with best-corrected visual acuity in both eyes of less than 6/15 or a 2 line difference between eyes were considered amblyopic. Response to alternate occlusion or refixation patterns was used as a basis for diagnosing amblyopia in pre-verbal children. Patients with visual deprivation amblyopia such as from cataract who had undergone lens extraction and optical correction were included. Results: There were 334 patients included in the study. The mean age was 5±3 years with 52% being male. Deprivation type of amblyopia was present in 192 (58%) patients, strabismic type in 81 (24%), and refractive type in 61 (18%). No sex predilection was observed. Majority of the patients were 3-6 years old on initial consult. Cataract was the most common cause of deprivation amblyopia affecting 127 (66%) patients. Strabismic amblyopia was present in 58 patients with 74% being esotropic. Anisometropic refractive amblyopia was more common at 37 (58%) than isometropic refractive amblyopia. Conclusion Visual deprivation amblyopia was the most common cause of amblyopia in a Philippine tertiary hospital.
Amblyopia ; Cataract ; Anisometropia ; Strabismus

PURPOSE: We sought factors affecting amblyopia recurrence after successful treatment.METHODS: We included 117 patients with amblyopia. Patients were divided into recurrence and non-recurrence groups. We analyzed sex, age, amblyopia type, treatment duration, visual acuity, and binocular status.RESULTS: Of the 117 patients, 25 (21.4%) experienced recurrences. In that group, 60.0% of patients (compared to 14.1% of the no-recurrence group) exhibited high-frequency strabismus (p < 0.001). The recurrence group were younger than the no-recurrence group at both the beginning and end of treatment (p < 0.05). None of visual acuity at treatment commencement or end, stereoacuity, or suppression affected amblyopia recurrence.CONCLUSIONS: Recurrent amblyopia is frequent after initial successful treatment if the patient exhibits strabismus or is young.
Amblyopia ; Humans ; Recurrence ; Risk Factors ; Strabismus ; Telescopes ; Visual Acuity

PURPOSE: We used a questionnaire to explore perceptions and clinical practice patterns of Korean pediatric ophthalmologists in terms of amblyopia.METHODS: From September to November 2018, we conducted a web-based questionnaire survey of 99 specialists of the Korean Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus who operated ophthalmology clinics in Korea. We received 56 responses (56.57%) and retrospectively analyzed the data.RESULTS: The average specialist age was 44.0 ± 9.7 years. The mean age of treated amblyopia patients was 3 to 5 years (69.6%); the most common amblyopia was refractive anisometropic amblyopia (75.0%). On average, treatment commenced at 4 years of age (53.6%); child and parent co-operation most significantly influenced treatment success (46.4%). The preferred test was cycloplegic refraction (96.4%) and the preferred treatment occlusion therapy (100%) with glasses correction (98.2%). Occlusion therapy was most commonly performed for 2 hours/day (69.6%); the minimum age for eyeglasses prescription was 2.10 ± 1.18 years. Only three respondents (5.36%) prescribed contact lenses and only one (1.79%) performed refractive surgery.CONCLUSIONS: In Korea, amblyopia treatment is based on occlusion therapy and glasses correction. However, the time of treatment commencement, the duration of occlusion therapy, and the glasses used for correction varied. It is necessary to develop guidelines for amblyopia treatment; these should reflect current medical conditions.
Amblyopia ; Child ; Contact Lenses ; Eyeglasses ; Glass ; Humans ; Korea ; Ophthalmology ; Parents ; Practice Patterns, Physicians' ; Prescriptions ; Refractive Surgical Procedures ; Retrospective Studies ; Specialization ; Strabismus ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Strabismus is a pathologic condition in which the eyes do not properly align with each other forming different images on the corresponding retinal points. Early diagnosis and appropriate management of strabismus in the sensitive period of visual maturation is critical for the development of normal binocular vision in children. Therefore, it is important to perform ophthalmologic examinations including cycloplegic refraction and ocular alignment as early as possible to detect risk factors for amblyopia and strabismus. Strabismus could also be a sign of intraocular pathology, brain diseases or myasthenia gravis which may require urgent treatment. Strabismus can be treated by surgical and non-surgical methods. The first step in the management of strabismus is to correct amblyogenic refractive errors and prescribe glasses if necessary. Bifocal lenses, prism glasses, occlusion therapy, and botulinum toxin injection could also be considered. Surgery is usually performed if non-surgical treatments are unsuccessful. Making an accurate diagnosis and setting practical goals and limitations of treatment is the key to success in the treatment of strabismus.
Amblyopia ; Botulinum Toxins ; Brain Diseases ; Child ; Diagnosis ; Early Diagnosis ; Eyeglasses ; Glass ; Humans ; Myasthenia Gravis ; Pathology ; Refractive Errors ; Retinaldehyde ; Risk Factors ; Strabismus ; Vision, Binocular

PURPOSE: To measure and analyze ocular deviations between dominant and non-dominant eyes using video-oculography (VOG) in intermittent exotropia. METHODS: Fourteen subjects who were diagnosed with intermittent exotropia from July 2017 to July 2018 with age of 5 or more, visual acuity of 20/30 or better and corrected visual acuity of 20/25 or more and difference in vision of both eyes of 1 line or less on Snellen optotype were included. The subjects were asked to fixate on a black-on-white optotype at 1 m, which subtended a visual angle of 50 minutes of arc. The video files and data about ocular deviations were obtained using VOG with alternate cover test. We analyzed angles of ocular deviations in dominant and non-dominant eyes. RESULTS: Among the 14 subjects in this study, the mean age were 7.6 ± 1.7 (range 5–9 years). Seven of 14 subjects had the right eye dominance. Six of the 14 subjects were men. There was no significant difference of ocular deviations between the dominant and non-dominant eyes in VOG (p = 0.167). Additionally, there was no significant difference of the values of VOG when one eye was exodeviated or re-fixated (p = 0.244), when both eyes were deviated, and when both eyes were re-fixated (p = 0.195, 0.637). CONCLUSIONS: In this study, there was no significant difference of ocular deviations between the dominant and non-dominant eyes, between when an eye was exodeviated or fixated using VOG. Therefore, it may not be a problem even if alternate prism cover test is performed in any eye in intermittent exotropia of more than 50 prism diopter without amblyopia or refraction abnormality that could affect the uncorrected visual acuity.
Amblyopia ; Dominance, Ocular ; Exotropia ; Humans ; Male ; Strabismus ; Visual Acuity

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical features of children with high hyperopia weaning with age. METHODS: The medical records of 203 children wearing spectacles due to hyperopia of +4.00 diopters (D) or greater in at least one eye based on the cycloplegic refraction and with follow-up for 3 years or more were reviewed. The patients were divided into those who showed a decrease in the spherical equivalent (SE) of 1.50 D or greater and those who maintained. The age of wearing spectacles, the magnitude of hyperopia, the angle of deviation, the ratio of accommodative-convergence to accommodation (AC/A), and the frequency of amblyopia and anisometropia were compared. RESULTS: Forty seven patients with decreased hyperopia and 156 patients with sustained hyperopia were included. The decreased-group started to wear spectacles later than the sustained-group (5.0 ± 2.3 years vs. 4.1 ± 2.4 years). The mean SE of the hyperopic eye in the decreased-group was significantly greater at the initial visit than in the sustained-group (6.29 ± 2.18 D vs. 5.47 ± 1.38 D); was identical at the 1 year follow-up (4.83 ± 1.72 D vs. 4.89 ± 1.55 D); and significantly lower at the last follow-up (3.15 ± 1.72 D vs. 4.65 ± 1.56 D). In the decreased-group, the mean hyperopia of 3.14 ± 2.02 D decreased during a mean period of 3.9 years, especially during the first year after spectacle correction. At baseline, the frequency and angle of esotropia at both distant and near with/without hyperopic correction was significantly larger in the sustained-group. The frequency of amblyopia and anisometropia and the AC/A were identical between the two groups, while the frequency of amblyopia at the last follow-up was significantly lower in the decreased-group. CONCLUSIONS: Some patients with hyperopia of +4.00 D or greater who had none or a small angle of esotropia and improved amblyopia showed a decrease in hyperopia with age.
Amblyopia ; Anisometropia ; Child ; Emmetropia ; Esotropia ; Eyeglasses ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hyperopia ; Medical Records ; Weaning