Treatment of Strabismic Amblyopia With Refractive Correction

Purpose

To report data on the response of previously untreated strabismic amblyopia to spectacle correction.

Design

Prospective, interventional case series.

Methods

Twelve patients with previously untreated strabismic amblyopia were prescribed spectacles and examined at five-week intervals until visual acuity was not improved from the prior visit.

Results

Amblyopic eye acuity improved by 2 lines or more from spectacle-corrected baseline acuity in nine of the 12 patients (75%), resolving in three (interocular difference ≤1 line). Mean change from baseline to maximum improvement was 2.2 ± 1.8 lines. Improvement continued for up to 25 weeks.

Conclusions

These results support the suggestion from a prior study that strabismic amblyopia can improve and even resolve with spectacle correction alone. Larger studies with concurrent controls are needed to confirm or refute these findings.