Pharmacologic Effects of Atropine Penalization in Amblyopic Eyes

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To analyze the pharmacologic effect of atropine penalization in amblyopic eyes. METHODS: Distant and near visual acuity, near point of accommodation (NPA), and pupil size were measured in the sound eye of 40 children with amblyopia before and after receiving atropine sulfate 1% solution. Amblyopic children were divided into 2 groups according to the time of follow-up visit 4-days and 7-days after injection; the same tests were performed on all the scheduled follow-up visits. This study included a control group of 20 normal children who received the same test on the initial visit and the scheduled follow-up visits. RESULTS: Visual acuity of the sound eye at distance showed greater decreases in children with 4-day follow-up visits compared with 7-day visits in the amblyopic group (p = 0.24). There was no significant difference in near visual acuity between the amblyopic group and the normal control group by follow-up interval (p = 0.98, p = 0.75). Near point of accommodation significantly increased in the 4-day visit group in both the amblyopic and the normal control groups (p = 0.04 and p = 0.03, respectively), Pupil size was significantly maintained in the 4-day visit, amblyopic group (p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Atropine effectively decreased the vision of the sound eye in amblyopic children. However, to maintain the pharmacologic effect, two separate atropine instillations per week (on a weekday and the weekend) should be considered as a treatment for amblyopia.