Atropine treatment of amblyopia: is a swap in fixation necessary?

National survey of amblyopia treatment in Japan: comparison with amblyopia treatment study results of the pediatric eye disease investigator group

PURPOSE

To investigate the treatment policy for amblyopia in Japan as of 2017 through a survey of multiple facilities and to compare the findings with those obtained by the Amblyopia Treatment Study (ATS) of the Pediatric Eye Disease Investigator Group.

STUDY DESIGN

Questionnaire survey study.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

A questionnaire was sent to 181 facilities where patients with amblyopia are being treated. The outcomes of the present survey were compared with the results of the ATS study, and the coincidence rates were evaluated.

RESULTS

The questionnaire response rate was 68.0%. The treatment plan that showed the highest agreement between the outcomes of the ATS study and the present study was whether or not treatment was to be given to patients aged 10-15 years who had received no previous treatment; 90% of the facilities answered that they would provide treatment to such patients as well. The next highest agreement was the future treatment of amblyopia with stable visual acuity in the affected eye; 82.6% of the facilities responded that they would reduce the occlusion time. On the other hand, the lowest agreement rate was the follow-up period of the refractive correction for moderate anisometropic amblyopia. The ATS showed "4 months," whereas most of the facilities in the present survey replied "3 months." The agreement rate was 10.8%.

CONCLUSION

The amblyopia treatment in Japan survey did not always agree with the research results of the ATS. Japanese ophthalmologists tend to make treatment plans for amblyopia according to their clinical experience.