Amblyopia

Publication Date: December 14, 2022
Last Updated: January 2, 2023

HIGHLIGHTED FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CARE

  • Treatment of refractive error alone can improve visual acuity (VA) in children who have anisometropic, strabismic, or combined amblyopia. Visual acuity of children who have bilateral refractive amblyopia also can substantially improve with refractive correction alone.
  • Most children who have moderate amblyopia (20/40 to 20/80) respond to initial treatment consisting of 2 hours of daily patching or weekend atropine.
  • Following treatment of amblyopia caused by strabismus, anisometropia, or both, continued monitoring is necessary and additional treatment, if needed, is associated with long-term durability of the VA improvement.
  • Suitable treatment options for amblyopia include optical correction, patching, pharmacological treatment, optical treatment, Bangerter (translucent) filters, and digital therapeutics, in addition to managing the underlying cause of amblyopia.
  • Amblyopia treatment may be effective in older children and adolescents, particularly if they have not previously been treated.

Overview

Title

Amblyopia

Authoring Organization

American Academy of Ophthalmology