Assessment of macular and optic disc morphology in children with unilateral hypermmetropic amblyopia

Introduction
To investigate macular thickness and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness of the optic disc using high resolution spectra optical coherence tomography.

Material and methods
A study group consisted of 54 eyes of children aged from 5 to 13 years with unilateral hypermmetropic amblyopia. 25 children aged from 6 to 14 years with emmetropia or mild hyperopia (SE less than +1.0 D) were recruited as a reference group. All patients underwent a comprehensive ocular examination, including Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscope/Optical Coherence Tomography scans of the macula and the optic disc. The total macular volume, minimal central foveal thickness, parafoveal and perifoveal retinal thickness, global retinal nerve fiber layer thickness and in 4 quadrants were assessed using Statistica 10.0.

Results
The total macular volume was significantly higher in amblyopic as compared to non-amblyopic eyes – 8.9 (8.09–9.27) in the study group, 8.3 (7.17–9.32) in the reference group respectively. However, the retinal nerve fiber layer was significantly thinner in amblyopic eyes.

Conclusions
Amblyopia does not affect retinal thickness symmetry between the right and left eye. The analysis of Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscope/ Optical Coherence Tomography morphometric parameters in amblyopic eyes is useful only when compared with the age-matched reference group.