Evaluating the impact of clinical characteristics on prognosis in amblyopia

Aim : This study aims to determine the prognostic impact by correlating demographic and clinical features with treatment responses in cases treated for anisometropia, isoametropia, strabismus, and deprivation amblyopia. Materials and Methods: A total of 166 cases diagnosed with amblyopia between January 2010 and January 2024 at the Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus Unit of the Department of Ophthalmology, Celal Bayar University Faculty of Medicine, Manisa, were examined. For the purpose of this study, the criterion for amblyopia was defined as the best corrected visual acuity being 0.8 or lower on the Snellen scale, and a difference of at least two lines between the visual acuities of both eyes on the Snellen scale. Cases were divided into three groups according to their response to treatment (none, partial, full) and further categorized based on etiological characteristics, type of treatment, and treatment compliance. Etiological characteristics included anisometropia, isoametropia, strabismus, and deprivation, while treatment for all cases involved patching of the good eye, with strabismus and cataract surgery performed as necessary. Groups were also formed based on treatment compliance, with certain threshold values determined, and cases were classified according to family history. Additionally, gender, age at the start of treatment, initial visual acuity, type and degree of strabismus, and refraction degrees were evaluated. The correlation of these characteristics with treatment responses was analyzed. Results : Upon evaluation of all cases, initial visual acuity, age at the onset of treatment, etiology, high degrees of shift in strabismus cases, low hours of daily patching, and treatment compliance were identified as significant factors affecting the outcome of vision (p=0.00, p=0.02, p=0.00, p=0.00, p=0.004, p=0.006, respectively). Conclusion: Early onset age, high initial visual acuity, and high treatment compliance are the most crucial factors influencing the success of amblyopia treatment.