Visual Rehabilitation Indicating Neuroplasticity in an Esotropic Adult Patient with Diplopia After Sudden Visual Acuity Loss in the Non-amblyopic Eye: A Case Report

Background: The aim of this case report is to present the successful management of both diplopia and amblyopia in a specific clinical situation, demonstrating neuroplasticity of the visual system in an adult patient. Causes of diplopia include eye pathologies in monocular diplopia and ischemic ocular motor nerve palsies, sudden life-threatening and chronic conditions in central nervous system in binocular diplopia. Strabismic amblyopia and nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy are quite often ophthalmic conditions, first one is caused by suppression during developmental period and the latter one by ischemia of the optic nerve in adults. Coexistence of aforementioned conditions may cause unusual clinical situation in which ability of nervous system to functional reorganization could be demonstrated.

Case Presentation: In our adult patient, diplopia was incited by the loss of suppression of the strabismic amblyopic eye, which was the consequence of a sudden decrease of the visual acuity in the previously better eye in the course of nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy. This led to impairment in daily activities.

Results: Visual training rehabilitation improved distance and near visual acuity in the amblyopic eye over three months, and prescribing two pairs of glasses with prisms enabled the patient to return to daily activities.

Conclusion: The discussed patient lost the suppression of the strabismic amblyopic eye. Management of amblyopia is usually undertaken in children, however considering neuroplasticity we successfully attempted to improve visual functioning of our patient, despite lower intensity of neuroplasticity functions in an adult brain.