Management of Anisometropic Abmlyopia in adults

Amblyopia is characterised by decrease in vision in one or both eyes as a result of processing defect in the visual pathways of the brain. it is considered an irreversible process if detected in the adult age group. this study was conducted from july 1 to december 31, 2010, at shifa foundation community health centre, islamabad, to determine if anisometropic amblyopia detected in adults can be reversed. a total of 15 adults, 11 (73.33%) males and 4 (26.66%) females, were managed for anisometropic amblyopia. all the patients were prescribed full cycloplegic correction in the anisometropic eye simultaneously with part-time occlusion therapy. success was defined as visual acuity of 6/18 or better at the end of the therapy. all patients were required to complete a structured questionnaire regarding their experiences with the therapy. reversal of amblyopia was observed in 11 (73.33%) patients who felt more confident about performing tasks for which they had earlier considered themselves unsuitable. poor compliance was responsible for not producing the desired outcome in 4 (26.66%) patients. anisometropic amblyopia in adults is reversible with dedicated efforts on behalf of both the ophthalmologist and the patient.