Interocular differences in subfoveal choroidal thickness in monocular intermittent exotropia

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Strabismus Research
• Choroidal Imaging

Background:

• Intermittent exotropia (IXT) is a common childhood strabismus.
• Fixation preference in IXT may influence ocular development.
• Understanding choroidal thickness variations is crucial for IXT management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) and central foveal thickness (CFT) in patients with IXT.
• To investigate if fixation preference (monocular vs. alternating) affects SFCT and CFT.
• To exclude anisometropia and amblyopia as confounding factors.

Main Methods:

• Spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) was used for measurements.
• Patients (≥4 years) with IXT and no amblyopia/anisometropia were included.
• SFCT and CFT were compared between monocular IXT (fixation preference) and alternating IXT groups.

Main Results:

• Eighty-one patients were analyzed (46 monocular, 35 alternating).
• A statistically significant difference in interocular SFCT was found between groups (P = 0.005).
• No significant difference in interocular CFT was observed between the groups.

Conclusions:

• Fixation preference in IXT is associated with greater interocular differences in SFCT.
• The presence or absence of fixation preference may influence subfoveal choroidal thickness in IXT.
• Further research is warranted to explore the clinical implications of these findings.