Certified Ophthalmic Medical Technologist (COMT) Practice Exam

Which patient is more likely to have amblyopia based on the given refractive errors?

1. Pt #1 with -7.50 sphere

2. Pt #2 with +7.50 sphere

3. Both patients equally

4. Nobody has amblyopia

The correct answer is: Pt #2 with +7.50 sphere

Amblyopia, often referred to as "lazy eye," is a condition where vision does not develop properly in one eye, typically due to a lack of visual stimulation during the critical developmental period in childhood. It is commonly associated with significant refractive errors, such as high hyperopia (farsightedness) or high myopia (nearsightedness). In this scenario, a patient with +7.50 spherical refractive error is more likely to develop amblyopia. High hyperopia can lead to reduced visual acuity if left uncorrected because the eye struggles to focus on nearby objects, potentially causing the brain to suppress input from the affected eye. This suppression can interfere with normal visual development, resulting in amblyopia. In contrast, while a patient with -7.50 sphere may also have a refractive error that could contribute to amblyopia, it is typically less common for high myopia to cause amblyopia than high hyperopia, primarily because the visual demands in children are often more geared towards overcoming hyperopic conditions, especially when they are not corrected early on. This distinction emphasizes the importance of early detection and correction of refractive errors, particularly in children, to prevent the onset of amblyopia. Each patient's