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Br J Ophthalmol 2003;87:291-296 doi:10.1136/bjo.87.3.291
  • Original Article
    • Clinical science

Differences in the management of amblyopia between European countries

  1. J H Y Tan1,
  2. J R Thompson2,
  3. I Gottlob2
  1. 1Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospitals of Leicester, Leicester, UK
  2. 2Deartment of Ophthalmology, Leicester Warwick Medical School, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
  1. Correspondence to: Jennifer H Y Tan, Department of Ophthalmology, Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester LE1 5WW, UK; jtan_ophth{at}yahoo.co.uk
  • Accepted 13 August 2002

Abstract

Background: Amblyopia treatment is not standardised and differences between centres and countries have not been systematically investigated. This survey compares the different patterns of orthoptic treatment of amblyopia in the United Kingdom (UK) and three German speaking countries (GSC).

Methods: Questionnaires were sent to orthoptists in the UK and the GSC asking for their preferred choices of treatment of amblyopia between the ages of 6 months to 10 years.

Results: The following significant differences in management of amblyopia were found: (1) the number of hours of occlusion per week was higher in the GSC, p<0.0001, (2) orthoptists in the GSC treat amblyopia up to an older age. Orthoptists in the GSC and in the UK predicted similar treatment outcomes.

Conclusion: Orthoptists in the GSC usually treat patients more intensively and for longer, while the prediction of visual outcome does not differ significantly between countries. These results highlight the lack of standardisation in the treatment of the various types of amblyopia.

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