Contemporary issues in amblyopia treatment

The aim of this report is to review the contemporary research in amblyopia treatment and how it will affect clinical practice patterns.

Topics addressed include prescribing the optimal refractive correction, the most effective treatment, duration and intensity of treatment, regression after treatment, the upper age for treatment, and the chance of the amblyope losing his or her sound eye.

The optimal refractive correction is best determined with cycloplegic retinoscopy; pharmacologic penalization can be as effective as patching in children with moderate amblyopia; less-intense treatment regimens have been found to be as effective as more-intense treatment regimens; regression can occur in as many as 25% of all treated patients; some older amblyopes can be treated successfully; and the amblyope has a higher chance of becoming blind than the nonamblyope.