J Korean Ophthalmol Soc.  2002 Sep;43(9):1724-1729.

Efficacy of Occlusion Therapy in Amblyopia Patients Older than 9 Years of Age

• Ahn JK
• Hwang JM

Abstract

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of occlusion therapy in amblyopia patients older than 9 years of age.
METHODS
A retrospective study on 16 amblyopes older than 9 years was performed to evaluate initial best-corrected visual acuity, final best-corrected visual acuity, the type of amblyopia, and compliance.
RESULTS
The average age at initiation of amblyopia therapy was 10.5 years and the average follow-up 24 months. Anisometropia was present in 11 patients, strabismus in 2, and both anisometropia and strabismus in 3 patients. The initial visual acuity was 0.2 or less in three, 0.3 to 0.5 in seven, 0.6 to 0.7 in six patients. The refractive errors of amblyopic eye were myopic in seven, hyperopic in seven and astigmatism in two patients. The amount of anisometropia was 2.56 diopters. Strabismus was exotropia in 5 patients. Initial therapy consisted of optical correction for the amblyopic eye and full-time occlusion for the nonamblyopic eye in 14, and part-time occlusion in two patients. Maintenance therapy of part-time occlusion with a patch in 11 patients and with Min's glasses in 3 patients followed improvement of visual acuity. Fifteen out of 16 patients improved their visual acuity over 3 lines of visual acuity and one remaining patient showed poor compliance. Final visual acuities were 0.7 or better in 14 patients, and 0.5 and 0.4 in each remained patient.
CONCLUSIONS
Given compliance, occlusion therapy for anisometropic and strabismic amblyopia can be successful even if started after 9 years of age.

Keyword

Age 9; Amblyopia; Occlusion therapy; Sensitive period; Visual acuity

MeSH Terms

Amblyopia*
Anisometropia
Astigmatism
Compliance
Exotropia
Eyeglasses
Follow-Up Studies
Glass
Humans
Refractive Errors
Retrospective Studies
Strabismus
Visual Acuity