Evaluation of Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness in Patients With Anisometropic and Strabismic Amblyopia Using Optical Coherence Tomography

Abstract

To evaluate the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness of eyes with amblyopia using optical coherence tomography (OCT). RNFL thickness measurements obtained by time-domain OCT of amblyopic eyes of patients with strabismus (35 patients) and patients with anisometropia (30 patients) were compared with their fellow eyes and age- and gender-matched healthy eyes (40 participants). RNFL thickness values of the groups were also compared and the correlation between RNFL thickness and refraction was evaluated. In the strabismic and anisometropic groups, there were no statistically significant differences in average RNFL thickness between amblyopic eyes and their fellow eyes (P > .05). Temporal RNFL quadrant in the hypermetropic anisometropic group, and superior RNFL quadrant in the myopic anisometropic group were significantly thinner in amblyopic eyes compared to their fellow eyes (P < .05). RNFL thickness did not differ between strabismic amblyopic, anisometropic amblyopic, and control eyes (P > .05). In the anisometropic group, a significant correlation was found between mean RNFL thickness and refraction (P < .05). Amblyopia is not associated with a decrease in RNFL thickness in strabismic or anisometropic amblyopia. In the anisometropic group, the inter-eye differences in RNFL thickness parameters seemed to be related to the refraction differences between the amblyopic eyes and their fellow eyes.[J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus 2013;50:113-117.].