The use of levodopa in the treatment of bilateral amblyopia secondary to uncorrected high hypermetropia

The standard treatment of bilateral amblyopia secondary to uncorrected high bilateral hypermetropia has been spectacles and time. The patient described here failed to show adequate improvement in visual acuity after 18 months of standard treatment. Visual acuity improved dramatically when the patient began taking levodopa, dropped precipitously when the medication was discontinued, and returned quickly to post-treatment levels when levodopa was restarted. Visual acuity remained stable when the medication was slowly tapered and discontinued. This report suggests that dopamine may play a role in the pathophysiology of bilateral amblyopia secondary to uncorrected high bilateral hypermetropia.