AMBLYOPIA

MANAGEMENT BY SUPERVISED INTENSIVE OCCLUSION THERAPY IN OLDER CHILDREN

Abstract

Objective: To study the effects of supervised
occlusion treatment for amblyopia in children aged 5-9 years. Design: Descriptive Study. Place &
Duration: Military Hospital, Rawalpindi (Aug, 2001 to June, 2002). Materials and Methods: Fifty children
who failed to respond occlusion therapy previously, were given two weeks of supervised intensive occlusion
therapy for 09 hours daily during waking hours directly under staff supervision. Visual acuity of amblyopic
and fellow eye was recorded at each clinic visit before admission, daily during admission and at each
outpatient visit after discharge. Appropriate spectacles have been prescribed. Visual acuity was recorded
using Snellen chart. After discharge visual acuity was checked at 1 week, 2 weeks, 1 month and at most
recent clinic visit if still receiving treatment or at final clinic visit if discharged. Results: Depending upon
the age and improvement of the visual acuity after two weeks of occlusion therapy we have divided the
patients into two groups. Group-1 between 5-7 years of age included 37 patients showed an improvement of
3-4 lines of the visual acuity. Group – 2 between 7-9 years of age included 13 patients showed an
improvement of 1-2 lines. Conclusion: The acuity of amblyopic eyes did not improve without effective
treatment. Subsequent supervised occlusion therapy was effective in majority of children.