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Updated: May 4, 2026
The Measurement and Treatment of Suppression in Amblyopia
Published on: December 14, 2012
Occlusion therapy in amblyopia: an experience from Hong Kong
Emily W H Tang1, Brian C Y Li, Ian Y L Yeung
1Department of Ophthalmology, United Christian Hospital, Kwun Tong, Hong Kong.
Insights
Patching therapy is a primary treatment for amblyopia in Hong Kong, achieving a 62% success rate. Severe amblyopia cases showed higher recurrence, suggesting a need for maintenance therapy and emphasizing parental compliance.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatric Ophthalmology
- Vision Science
Background:
- Amblyopia, or 'lazy eye,' is a common cause of reduced vision in children.
- Patching therapy (occlusion) is a standard treatment for amblyopia.
- Understanding treatment outcomes in different regions is crucial for optimizing care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of patching therapy for amblyopia management in Hong Kong.
- To assess success rates, treatment duration, and recurrence in a local pediatric population.
- To compare findings with international studies like the Amblyopia Treatment Study.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective case series analysis of pediatric patients treated for amblyopia.
- Review of patient records from a regional hospital in Hong Kong (January-March 2009).
- Evaluation of visual acuity outcomes, treatment duration, and compliance.
Main Results:
- Overall success rate (final visual acuity >0.7) was 62% in 50 children.
- Children with moderate amblyopia had a 74% success rate, while severe amblyopia had a 55% success rate.
- Treatment duration was longer than in Western countries, and recurrence was higher in severe cases (46%).
Conclusions:
- Occlusion therapy remains the primary treatment for amblyopia in Hong Kong.
- Success rates are comparable to international standards, but longer treatment durations were observed.
- Maintenance therapy may be beneficial for severe amblyopia to reduce recurrence; parental compliance is critical.
Abstract:
OBJECTIVES. To review the results of patching for amblyopia management in Hong Kong. DESIGN. Retrospective case series. SETTING. Regional hospital, Hong Kong. PATIENTS. Records of all patients attending Paediatric Ophthalmology Clinic at United Christian Hospital, Hong Kong from 1 January 2009 to 31 March 2009 were retrospectively reviewed. Records of all children who underwent patching for amblyopia in the study period were evaluated. RESULTS. The mean age of 50 children (50 eyes) was 4 (standard deviation, 1; range, 2-7) years and mean pretreatment visual acuity was 0.35 (0.15; 0.02-0.63) [~20/60]. The values for mean, standard deviation, and range of treatment duration were 27, 16, 4-67 months respectively, and corresponding values for prescribed patching per day were 4, 1, 2-8 hours. The mean, standard deviation, and range of visual acuity at final post-treatment assessment were 0.66, 0.16, 0.1-1.0 (~20/30), respectively. The overall success rate (ie final visual acuity >0.7 or 20/30) was 62%. Children with moderate amblyopia (20/40-20/80) and severe amblyopia (20/100-20/400) had success rates of 74% and 55%, respectively. The mean visual acuity improvements for moderate and severely amblyopic children were 2.3 lines and 5.8 lines, respectively. The mean, standard deviation, and range of patching prescriptions for moderate and severely amblyopic children were 5, 1, 2-7 hours and 5, 1, 3-6 hours, respectively. Recurrence ensued in 7% of the children with moderate amblyopia and 46% of those with severe amblyopia. Reported compliance was good (>75% of the time) in 68% of the children. CONCLUSION. Occlusion therapy is the mainstay of treatment in Hong Kong. The overall success rate was comparable to that achieved in the Amblyopia Treatment Study. Recurrence was more common in patients with severe amblyopia, for whom maintenance therapy may reduce the risk of recurrence. The duration of treatment was much longer in our locality than in western countries. Reported compliance was suspicious possibly due to traditional cultural contexts. It is important to emphasise compliance to all parents.
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