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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2009 Jun;13(3):258-63.
doi: 10.1016/j.jaapos.2009.03.002.

Treatment of severe amblyopia with weekend atropine: results from 2 randomized clinical trials

Michael X Repka  1 , Raymond T Kraker, Roy W Beck, Eileen Birch, Susan A Cotter, Jonathan M Holmes, Richard W Hertle, Darren L Hoover, Deborah L Klimek, Wendy Marsh-Tootle, Mitchell M Scheiman, Donny W Suh, David R Weakley; Pediatric Eye Disease Investigator Group
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Treatment of severe amblyopia with weekend atropine: results from 2 randomized clinical trials

Michael X Repka et al. J AAPOS. 2009 Jun.

Abstract

Purpose: To determine the effectiveness of weekend atropine for severe amblyopia from strabismus, anisometropia, or both combined among children 3 to 12 years of age.

Methods: We enrolled children into 2 prospective, randomized multicenter clinical trials of amblyopia therapy. Herein we report the results for severe amblyopia, 20/125 to 20/400. In Trial 1, 60 children 3 to 6 years of age (mean, 4.4 years) were randomized to weekend atropine plus a plano lens or weekend atropine plus full spectacle correction for the sound eye. In Trial 2, 40 children 7 to 12 years of age (mean, 9.3 years) were randomized to weekend atropine or 2 hours of daily patching. The visual acuity outcome was assessed at 18 weeks in Trial 1 and 17 weeks in Trial 2.

Results: In Trial 1, visual acuity improved by an average of 4.5 lines in the atropine plus correction group (95% CI, 3.2-5.8 lines) and 5.1 lines in the atropine plus plano lens group (95% CI, 3.7-6.4 lines). In Trial 2, visual acuity improved by an average of 1.5 lines in the atropine group (95% CI, 0.5-2.5 lines) and 1.8 lines in the patching group (95% CI, 1.1-2.6 lines).

Conclusions: Weekend atropine can improve visual acuity in children 3 to 12 years of age with severe amblyopia. Improvement may be greater in younger children.

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References

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