Anisometropia Magnitude and Amblyopia Depth in Previously Untreated Unilateral Amblyopia Patients

Abstract

Objective: The study aimed to investigate the association among the depth of amblyopia, the magnitude of anisometropia, age, sex and laterality. Methods: A retrospective review of 13,146 patients was performed and 64 patients with unilateral anisometropic amblyopia were investigated between January 2013 and May 2015 in Hakkari Government Hospital Eye Clinic during my obligatory duty as an ophthalmologist. The depth of amblyopia, the magnitude of refractive error and anisometropia, age, laterality and gender of the patients were statistically analyzed. Results: Age was positively correlated with the cylindrical values of myopic amblyopic patients whereas such correlation was not observed in hyperopia (rho: 0.666; p < 0.01; Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level, 2-tailed). The amblyopia depth was significantly more common in the left eye compared to the right eye in severe and moderate amblyopia groups. In astigmatism, cylindrical powers of amblyopic eyes were statistically correlated with logMAR visual acuities of amblyopic eyes. The spherical powers of amblyopic eyes were statistically correlated with logMAR visual acuity of amblyopic eyes in myopia and in hyperopia. Also in hyperopia, cylindrical powers of healthy eyes were statistically correlated with cylindrical powers of amblyopic eyes (rho: 0.763; p < 0.01). This result may indicate the tendency of making amblyopia in both eyes of hyperopia patients. Conclusion: Refractive disorder difference of 0.75 diopter (D) astigmatism or 1.5 D of spherical refractive disorder difference was enough for amblyopia development. The same amount of anisohyperopia and anisoastigmatism leads to deeper amblyopia compared to the same amount of anisomyopia. The vision per D values of refractive disorders were approaching to each other above 4 D of spherical equivalents. The deeper amblyopia was significantly more common in the left eye compared to the right eye. The hyperopia seems to change slowly whereas the astigmatism and the myopia behave like a factor that varies as time goes by.

Does non‐strabismic amblyopia affect the quality of life of adults? Findings from a qualitative study

“…Strabismus and anisometropia are the most common amblyogenic factors. Unlike strabismus, which can be noticeable, anisometropia is often not recognized by parents, children or others and can go undetected until the child is older and beyond the critical period of treatment efficacy 3 4 Iran (45.24%) 5 and Singapore (38.3%) 6 .…”

Fusion and stereopsis in children with refractive amblyopia

“…Regarding the prevalence of amblyopia according to the degree of depth, Istek 14 found moderate amblyopia (59.4%) more frequently, followed by severe (31.2%) and mild (9.4%). Sapkota 16 found a predominance of severe amblyopia (46%), followed by moderate (41%), without finding a statistically significant association between the depth of amblyopia and the type of refractive error.…”

“…Istek 14 found that a difference in refractive error of 0.75 for astigmatism between both eyes or 1.50 for spherical defect was enough to develop amblyopia.…”

“…Amblyopia was divided by type into isoametropic (AI, refractive error of equal magnitude in both eyes) and anisometropic (AA, interocular difference of spherical or cylindrical refractive error of 1 D or more) 14 .…”

Fusión y estereopsis en niños con ambliopía refractiva

“…Según su tipo, la ambliopía se dividió en isoametrópica (AI, error refractivo de igual magnitud en ambos ojos) y anisometrópica (AA, diferencia interocular de error refractivo esférico o cilíndrico de 1 D o más) 14 .…”