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A randomized trial of atropine vs patching for treatment of moderate amblyopia in children
Journal article   Open access

A randomized trial of atropine vs patching for treatment of moderate amblyopia in children

Roy Beck, Eileen Birch, Stephen Cole, Donald Everett, Pediat Eye Dis Investigator Grp and Mitchell Scheiman
Archives of ophthalmology (1960), v 120(3), pp 268-278
01 Mar 2002
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1001/archopht.120.3.268
PMID: 11879129
Featured in Collection :   UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
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https://doi.org/10.1001/archopht.120.3.268View
Published, Version of Record (VoR) Open

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To compare patching and atropine as treatments for moderate amblyopia in children younger than 7 years. METHODS: In a randomized clinical trial, 419 children younger than 7 years with amblyopia and visual acuity in the range of 20/40 to 20/100 were assigned to receive either patching or atropine at 47 clinical sites. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Visual acuity in the amblyopic eye and sound eye after 6 months. RESULTS: Visual acuity in the amblyopic eye improved in both groups (improvement from baseline to 6 months was 3.16 lines in the patching group and 2.84 lines in the atropine group). Improvement was initially faster in the patching group, but after 6 months, the difference in visual acuity between treatment groups was small and clinically inconsequential (mean difference at 6 months, 0.034 logMAR units; 95% confidence interval, 0.005-0.064 logMAR units). The 6-month acuity was 20/30 or better in the amblyopic eye and/or improved from baseline by 3 or more lines in 79% of the patching group and 74% of the atropine group. Both treatments were well tolerated, although atropine had a slightly higher degree of acceptability on a parental questionnaire. More patients in the atropine group than in the patching group had reduced acuity in the sound eye at 6 months, but this did not persist with further follow-up. CONCLUSION: Atropine and patching produce improvement of similar magnitude, and both are appropriate modalities for the initial treatment of moderate amblyopia in children aged 3 to less than 7 years.

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Ophthalmology
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