This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this link to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Add article to my folders Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Stewart, C E Articles by Fielder, A R Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Stewart, C E Articles by Fielder, A R

Defining and measuring treatment outcome in unilateral amblyopia

Department of Ophthalmology, Imperial College, London, UK

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Catherine Stewart, Department of Ophthalmology, Imperial College, London, 9L01, Charing Cross Hospital, St Dunstan’s Road, London W6 8RF, UK;
c.stewart{at}imperial.ac.uk

ABSTRACT
Aim: To offer a critique of current methods of defining amblyopia treatment outcome and to examine alternative approaches.

Method: Literature appraisal and descriptive case presentations.

Results: Currently, the outcome of amblyopia treatment is expressed as the number of acuity chart lines gained or, alternatively, achievement of an arbitrarily adopted level of visual acuity. As binocular vision is optimised with equal visual input from each eye the authors propose that the optimum outcome of amblyopia therapy is to achieve a visual acuity in the amblyopic eye equal to that of its fellow. In addition, improvement should be graded as the proportion of change in visual acuity with respect to the absolute potential for improvement (that is, that pertaining in the fellow eye at end of treatment).

Conclusions: There are two methods of appropriately describing the outcome of amblyopia treatment: firstly, by the difference in final visual acuity of amblyopic and fellow eye (residual amblyopia); secondly, the proportion of the deficit corrected.

Keywords: treatment outcome; unilateral amblyopia; children

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C. E Stewart, D. A Stephens, A. R Fielder, M. J Moseley, and ROTAS Cooperative Objectively monitored patching regimens for treatment of amblyopia: randomised trial BMJ, October 6, 2007; 335(7622): 707 - 707. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. E. Stewart, A. R. Fielder, D. A. Stephens, M. J. Moseley, and MOTAS Cooperative Treatment of Unilateral Amblyopia: Factors Influencing Visual Outcome Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., September 1, 2005; 46(9): 3152 - 3160. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Awan, F. A Proudlock, and I. Gottlob A Randomized Controlled Trial of Unilateral Strabismic and Mixed Amblyopia Using Occlusion Dose Monitors to Record Compliance Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., April 1, 2005; 46(4): 1435 - 1439. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. E. Stewart, M. J. Moseley, D. A. Stephens, and A. R. Fielder Treatment Dose-Response in Amblyopia Therapy: The Monitored Occlusion Treatment of Amblyopia Study (MOTAS) Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., September 1, 2004; 45(9): 3048 - 3054. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A R O'Connor, T J Stephenson, A Johnson, M J Tobin, S Ratib, M Moseley, and A R Fielder Visual function in low birthweight children Br. J. Ophthalmol., September 1, 2004; 88(9): 1149 - 1153. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]