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Category: Volume 05 Issue 10 October 2017
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Title: Risk Factors in Recurrence of Amblyopia after Successful Occlusion Therapy

Authors: Z. Sumera, M. Imran, U Riyaz, S. Sajjad, L. Imtiyaz, S. Nusrat

 DOI:  https://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v5i10.174

Abstract

Context: Recurrence after successful treatment of amblyopia is known and understanding the risk factors could help effective management.

Aim: To measure incidence of recurrence in successfully treated cases of anisometropic amblyopia.

Settings and Design: It is a cohort Study at a tertiary level institution.

Materials and Methods: Successfully treated anisometropic amblyopes aged 5−16 years were followed up for 1 year after stopping therapy. Each patients best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and refractive error if, any were tested at baseline and follow-up.

Statistical Analysis:  Chi-square test and paired t-test.

Results: One hundred children attending opd with mean age at diagnosis 7.06 years were followed-up for a mean duration of 1.0 to 1.5years. The mean pre-treatment BCVA (Log MAR score) at diagnosis was 0.73 to 0.36 units which improved to 0.20 to 0.00 with treatment and after 1 year of stopping treatment was 0.22 to 0.07. Twelve (12%) patients showed amblyopia recurrence during follow-up. Risk of recurrence was higher with older age of onset of treatment (more than 12years P = 0.0014). Good intial results in improvement of visual acuity (p=0.048) were associated with higher recurrence rate. 

Conclusions: Amblyopia can recurrer in children after intial successful occlusion therapy.  The most important risk factors noted were older age at presentation and good improvement in visual acuity.  All patients therefore should be carefully followed up even after successful occlusion therapy to prevent recurrence of amblyoipia.

Keywords: visual acuity, occlusion,amblyopia.

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Corresponding Author

Z Sumera

Department of Ophthalmology SKIMS Medical College, Bemina, Srinagar, J&K 190018

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