Analysis of macular, foveal, and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in children with unilateral anisometropic amblyopia and their changes following occlusion therapy

ABSTRACT

Purpose: To analyze macular thickness (MT), foveal thickness (FT), and retinal nerve fibre layer thickness (RNFLT) in children with unilateral anisometropic amblyopia and their changes following occlusion therapy. Methods: A prospective, longitudinal, and comparative study of 60 children aged between 5 and 18 years consisted of two groups, group 1 30 children with unilateral anisometropic amblyopia; group 2 30 normal children. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), a detailed ocular examination, spectral domain optical coherence tomography for MT, FT, and RNFLT in both eyes were done at visit one (baseline) and every 3 months for a year following occlusion therapy (initiated one month after first visit) in group 1. Results: Mean BCVA, MT, FT, and RNFLT in amblyopic eyes at first visit were 0.63 ± 0.405, 286.9 ± 6.522 ?m, 195.90 ± 8.462 ?m, and 100.87 ± 6.240 ?m, respectively and at last visit after occlusion therapy were 0.50 ± 0.318, 248.9 ± 11.681 ?m, 169.47 ± 10.941 ?m, and 99.43 ± 5.722 ?m, respectively. At first visit, mean BCVA, MT, FT, and RNFLT in nonamblyopic eyes (group 1) were 0 ± 0, 240 ± 10.447 ?m, 159.27 ± 9.285 ?m, 98.63 ± 4.723 ?m and in normal eyes (group 2 average of right and left eyes) were 0 ± 0, 239.8 ± 4.294 ?m, 143.6 ± 4.61 ?m, 100.5 ± 2.895 ?m, respectively. Conclusion: MT and FT, which were more in amblyopic eyes as compared to normal fellow eyes and group 2, decreased with improvement in BCVA after occlusion therapy. However, there was no difference in RNFLT between amblyopic eyes and normal fellow eyes and group 2 before and after occlusion therapy.