Evaluation of retinal structure in unilateral amblyopia using spectral domain optical coherence tomography

To investigate potential differences in the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness, macular thickness and foveal thickness between amblyopic eyes and normal fellow eyes on spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT).

A cross-sectional study of patients ≥10 years of age with unilateral amblyopia resulting from an anisometropic, strabismic or deprivative cause. Comprehensive ophthalmic examination was completed and the retinal structures of both eyes were measured using SD-OCT. We compared the measurements obtained between the amblyopic eye and the fellow normal eye in each subject.

Twenty-six unilateral amblyopia patients with a mean age of 29.92 ± 14.19 years old participated in the study, of which 17 (65.4%) were classified as anisometropic, 7 (26.9%) as strabismic, and 2 (7.7%) as deprivative. For the amblyopic eye and fellow normal eye, respectively, the mean RNFL thickness was 95.87 ± 14.56 μm and 97.87 ± 14.56 μm (P = 0.628), the mean macular thickness was 270.87 ± 14.43 μm and 275.60 ± 14.43 μm (P = 0.251) and the mean foveal thickness was 250.59 ± 27.82 μm and 242.91 ± 27.82 μm (P = 0.332). SD-OCT assessments revealed no statistically significant differences between both eyes.

Using SD-OCT, there were no significant changes in the retinal structure of amblyopic eyes. Therefore, amblyopia does not seem to have a profound structural effect on the retinal nerve fiber layer, the macula, or the fovea.