Stability of visual acuity improvement following discontinuation of amblyopia treatment in children aged 7 to 12 years.

ABSTRACT: To assess the stability of visual acuity improvement during the first year after cessation of amblyopia treatment other than spectacle wear in children aged 7 to 12 years.At the completion of a multicenter randomized trial during which amblyopia treated with patching and atropine improved by at least 2 lines on the electronic Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy Study testing protocol, 80 patients aged 7 to 12 years were followed up while not receiving treatment (other than spectacle wear) for 1 year.Ten letters or more (> or =2 lines) worsening of visual acuity (measured using the electronic Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy Study testing protocol) during the year following treatment discontinuation.During the year following cessation of treatment, the cumulative probability of worsening visual acuity (> or =2 lines) was 7% (95% confidence interval, 3%-17%); 82% of patients maintained an increase in visual acuity of 10 letters or more compared with their visual acuity before starting treatment.Visual acuity improvement occurring during amblyopia treatment is sustained in most children aged 7 to 12 years for at least 1 year after discontinuing treatment other than spectacle wear.ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00094692.

SUBMITTER: Hertle RW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2614923 | biostudies-literature | 2007 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature