Articles about Eye Health and Disease 2002
 

Patching and Eyedrop Therapy (Atropine) found Equally Effective in Treating Amblyopia in Children

(From The Pediatric Eye Disease Investigator Group, Arch Ophthalmol. 2002;120:268-278.)

Amblyopia is the most common cause of monocular visual impairment in both children and young to middle-aged adults.  Most cases are associated with strabismus (misalignment of eyes, or crossing and turning out of eyes) or anisometropia (an usually large difference the refractive error, or glasses prescription, between the two eyes).  Traditionally, Occlusion Therapy with patching of the normal eye has been the mainstay of treating the disorder, along with the use of glasses and surgery to correct misalignment.  Treatment is most effective at a very early age (while the visual system is still under development), and is poor after the age of 8.

The study cited above compared Occlusion Therapy to Eyedrop Therapy (Atropine) as a treatment for moderate amblyopia in children younger than age 7.  Giving Atropine to the normal eye causes long term dilation of the eye and a paralysis of focusing ability.  This forces the poorly seeing eye with amblyopia to work, thus building up its vision.  After 6 months of Occlusion Therapy or Atropine Therapy, the visual acuity in the amblyopic eye improved in both groups by about 3 lines in vision.  Improvement was initially faster in the Occlusion Therapy group, but at 6 months, the difference in visual acuity between treatment groups was small and clinically and statistically insignificant.

The 6-month visual acuity was 20/30 or better in the amblyopic eye in 79% of the patching group, and 74% of the atropine group.  The use of the eyedrop was slightly more preferred by parents than patching.

Between April 1999 and April 2001, 419 children were enrolled into this study between the age of 3 and 7 with an initial visual acuity in the amblyopic eye ranging from 20/40 to 20/100.

 

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