Amblyopia Therapy in Children Identified by Photoscreening
Presented as paper 075 at: the American Academy of Ophthalmology Annual Meeting, November 11, 2008, Atlanta, Georgia.
Received 13 January 2009; received in revised form 19 June 2009; accepted 19 June 2009. published online 05 November 2009.
Purpose
To determine the efficacy of amblyopia treatment in children identified through a community photoscreening program.
Design
Case series.
Participants
We included 125 children diagnosed with amblyopia after referral from a photoscreening program.
Methods
Retrospective chart review of 125 amblyopic children identified by photoscreening and treated in a single academic pediatric ophthalmology group practice. Treatment regimens included spectacles, patching, and/or atropine penalization. Successful treatment was defined as ≥3 Snellen line equivalent improvement in visual acuity and/or 20/30 visual acuity in the amblyopic eye in literate children. Successful treatment in initially preliterate children was defined as 20/30 or better visual acuity in the amblyopic eye.
Main Outcome Measures
Percentage of successfully treated amblyopic children.
Results
Of 901 children evaluated after being referred from photoscreening, 551 had amblyopiogenic risk factors without amblyopia, 185 were diagnosed with amblyopia, and 165 were false positives. Of 185 children with amblyopia, 125 met inclusion criteria for analysis and 78% (97 of 125) were successfully treated.
Conclusions
The success rate of amblyopia treatment in children identified through our photoscreening program is high. This study supports the role of photoscreening programs in the prevention of amblyopia-related vision loss. Such early screening may translate to true visual acuity improvement.
Financial Disclosure(s)
The authors have no proprietary or commercial interest in any of the materials discussed in this article.
Available online: November 5, 2009.
1Department of Ophthalmology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee
2Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee
3Department Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee
Correspondence: Ronald G. Teed, MD, Storm Eye Institute, Medical University of South Carolina, 167 Ashley Avenue, Charleston, SC 29425
Manuscript no. 2009-55.
Financial Disclosure(s): The authors have no proprietary or commercial interest in any of the materials discussed in this article.
ABSTRACT