Strabismus 26 (4): 168 - 183, 2018. doi: 10.1080/09273972.2018.1500618 Etiology of Amblyopia There are 3 causes: Strabismus Refractive errors Obstruction of the visual axis Strabismus can cause amblyopia because misalignment of the eyes results in different retinal images being sent to the visual cortex.