Objective: To compare weekend atropine sulfate use augmented by a plano lens for the sound eye with weekend atropine use alone for moderate amblyopia in children aged 3 years to younger than 7 years.
Methods: In a multicenter clinical trial, 180 children with moderate amblyopia (visual acuities of 20/40-20/100) were randomized to weekend atropine use augmented by a plano lens or weekend atropine use alone.
Main outcome measure: Masked assessment of amblyopic eye visual acuity using the Amblyopia Treatment Study HOTV testing protocol at 18 weeks.
Results: At 18 weeks, amblyopic eye improvement averaged 2.8 lines in the group that received atropine plus a plano lens and 2.4 lines in the group that received atropine alone (mean difference between groups adjusted for baseline acuity, 0.3 line; 95% confidence interval, -0.2 to 0.8 line). Amblyopic eye visual acuity was 20/25 or better in 24 patients (29%) in the group that received atropine only and 35 patients (40%) in the group that received atropine plus a plano lens (P = .03). More patients in the group that received atropine plus a plano lens had reduced sound eye visual acuity at 18 weeks; however, there were no cases of persistent reverse amblyopia.
Conclusions: As an initial treatment for moderate amblyopia, the augmentation of weekend atropine use with a plano lens does not substantially improve amblyopic eye visual acuity when compared with weekend atropine use alone. Application to Clinical Practice Treatment of children with unilateral amblyopia. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.org Identifier: NCT00315302.