Evaluation of retinal nerve fiber layer thickness using optical coherence tomography in unilateral anisometropic amblyopic patients

Abstract

Aim: To evaluate the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness in cases with unilateral anisometropic amblyopia using optical coherence tomography (OCT).Material and Method: Retrospective cross–sectional observational case series. OCT of the peripapillary RNFL thickness of amblyopic and fellow eyes was performed in 35 patients age 6 to 63 years (mean 28.91±15.45) with unilateral anisometropic amblyopia. All OCT scans were performed within three session by the same operator with cyclopentolate pupil dilatation for the best correct result. Scans with signal strength more than 7 (on a 10-point scale) were considered acceptable and included in the analysis only. Statistical analysis of retinal thickness differences between the amblyopic and healthy (fellow) eyes were determined using the independent samples T-test. Additionally it was utilized from Pearson correlation test to establish the correlation between RNFL values and refractive disorder levels.Results: While the average RNFL thickness was measured 93.91±17.18 micrometer in amblyopic eyes; that was measured 94.51±14.54 micrometer in fellow eyes. There was no statistically significant difference between the RNFL thickness of the amblyopic eyes and healthy fellow eyes.Conclusion: In cases with anisometropic amblyopia, RNFL thickness measurements between amblyopic and healthy eyes were similar in general.