Is amblyopia of any severity fully treatable, irrespective of a patient’s age?

Abstract

: : To find out the level of visual improvement and the time it takes in amblyopia of any severity. : To find out whether the level of visual improvement is influenced by a patient's age at presentation. : To note whether the level of visual recovery is influenced by previous amblyopia therapy. To note any regression of visual acuity with time after initial improvement by therapy. To note complications of full-time occlusion therapy, especially occlusion amblyopia.: In a prospective interventional study, 1701 consecutive cases with poor vision were included irrespective of a patient’s age. After wearing refractive correction for 8-12 weeks and no further improvement in the BCVA, amblyopia therapy was started comprising of full-time patching of the good eye along with active use of the amblyopic eye by reading and writing at least 6 hours daily. Regular two weekly follow-ups were conducted. The endpoint of therapy was achieving a BCVA equal to that of the good eye. A regular post-patching follow-up was conducted for 1-3 years. Statistical analysis comparing the visual acuity at the start and the end of therapy was performed by a paired t-test for each group. : There were 896 male and 805 female cases. 1383 cases (81.3%) had previously failed amblyopia therapy. 49 cases (2.9%) dropped out of the study due to poor compliance with therapy or an incomplete follow-up. For a simplified analysis of results, the 1701 cases were divided into three age groups: Group A: age 4-7 years (473 cases), Group B: age 8-12 years (618 cases) and Group C: age 13-46 years (610 cases). The overall success in Group A and B cases was 98% and 96.9% in Group C cases. Full visual recovery is possible in amblyopia of any severity and age. The age of a patient at presentation should not preclude therapy.