Choroidal thickness in children with hyperopic anisometropic amblyopia

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Pediatric Ophthalmology
• Retinal Imaging

Background:

• Hyperopic anisometropic amblyopia is a common cause of reduced vision in children.
• Choroidal thickness (CT) plays a role in ocular development and visual function.
• Understanding choroidal morphometrics in amblyopia is crucial for diagnosis and management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To measure choroidal thickness (CT) in the macular region of children with hyperopic anisometropic amblyopia.
• To compare CT between amblyopic eyes, fellow eyes, and age-matched healthy controls.
• To investigate the correlation between CT and axial length in these groups.

Main Methods:

• Spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) with enhanced depth imaging was used.
• Choroidal thickness was measured in the subfoveal area and at 1 mm and 3 mm diameters around the fovea.
• Twenty-five children with amblyopia and twenty age-matched controls participated.

Main Results:

• The subfoveal choroid was significantly thicker in amblyopic eyes (351.3±54.7 µm) compared to fellow eyes (283.5±55.2 µm) and controls (282.7±73.3 µm).
• A significant negative correlation was found between subfoveal CT and axial length in both amblyopic and control eyes.
• The CT profile varied between amblyopic and fellow/control eyes.

Conclusions:

• Eyes with hyperopic anisometropic amblyopia exhibit a significantly thicker subfoveal choroid.
• The choroidal thickness profile in amblyopic eyes differs from that of their fellow eyes and controls.
• These findings highlight potential structural differences in the choroid associated with amblyopia.