Comparison of the Thickness and Volume of the Macula and Fovea in Patients with Anisometropic Amblyopia Prior to and after Occlusion Therapy

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To compare the thickness of superior, temporal, inferior, and nasal macula and foveal thickness and volume in patients with anisometropic amblyopia prior to and after successful occlusion therapy using optical coherence tomography (OCT) measurement. METHODS: Data were collected prospectively on 30 patients with unilateral anisometropic amblyopia from December 2006 to August 2007. All patients had anisometropia of 2.0 diopters or more. OCT scans were obtained for all patients at diagnosis. Occlusion therapy was then prescribed and OCT scans were obtained again at the time of successful occlusion therapy (defined as interocular difference of 0.05). However, mean foveal volume prior to occlusion therapy (0.15 ± 0.02 mm3) decreased after occlusion (0.14 ± 0.01 mm3) with statistical significance (Wilcoxon signed rank test, p = 0.025). CONCLUSIONS: There was a meaningful decrease in foveal volume in patients with anisometropic amblyopia after successful occlusion therapy. Whether this decrease relates to visual improvement of the amblyopic eye remains to be determined.