To compare the outcome of part-time occlusion therapy and intermittent atropine penalization therapy in amblyopic school-age patients.

In the present study, the authors retrospectively analyzed school-age amblyopic patients treated with part-time occlusion therapy (Group 1) and intermittent atropine penalization therapy (Group 2) as primary treatments. Age, visual acuity (logMAR) and interocular acuity differences at the beginning of treatment, cause of amblyopia, depth of amblyopia, and compliance for treatment were analyzed. Visual acuity and the lines of improvement from baseline visual acuity in the amblyopic eye were compared between the two groups with high compliance.

The number of patients was 43 in Group 1 and 23 in Group 2. Age and the baseline visual acuity were not significantly different between Group 1 and Group 2. Group 2 had a higher level of compliance than did Group 1 (91.7; 63.4%), but there was no statistical difference between the groups ( p =0.064). The visual acuity (logMAR, 0.27:0.05, p =0.020) and the lines of improvement of the amblyopic eye at the final follow-up (2.7:4.2 lines, p =0.010) were better in Group 1 than in Group 2 with high compliance.

In amblyopic school-age children, part-time occlusion therapy could be conducted as primary treatment in cases with high compliance. Intermittent atropine penalization therapy can be attempted if there is low compliance in occlusion therapy.