Comparison of macular and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in untreated and treated binocular amblyopia.
OBJECTIVE
To identify morphological retinal relationships to visual acuity (VA), refraction and axial length in binocular hyperopic amblyopia.


METHODS
Children (n = 118), ages 5-12 years, were divided into three groups: those with current amblyopia (n = 53), those with fully corrected previous amblyopia (n = 26) and those with emmetropia and normal VA (n = 39). Macular thickness and peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness were measured by optical coherence tomography (OCT) and compared among the three groups.


RESULTS
The outer macular ring and RNFL of the current amblyopia group were significantly (independent t-test) thicker than those of the emmetropia group. However, significance of this difference disappeared after adjustment for axial length and refractive error. There was no significant difference in foveal or inner macular ring thickness among the three groups, either before or after adjustment for age, gender, axial length, and refractive error. When controlled for age, gender and VA, outer macular ring and RNFL thicknesses correlated with axial length (r = -0.350 and -0.334, respectively; p < 0.001) and refraction (r = 0.298 and -0.237, respectively; p ≤ 0.011).


CONCLUSIONS
Macular and RNFL thicknesses appear to be more extensively associated with differences in axial length and refraction than with amblyopic development, based on the fact that these thicknesses remained unchanged after amblyopic treatment.
School of Optometry and Ophthalmology, Wenzhou Medical University , Wenzhou, Zhejiang , China.
Wuhe
W
Chen
Jie
J
Chen
Jinhai
J
Huang
Jinling
J
Xu
Fang
F
Zhang
Fan
F
Lu
D000550:Amblyopia / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D058452:Axial Length, Eye / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D058453:Emmetropia; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006956:Hyperopia / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D008266:Macula Lutea / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008954:Models, Biological; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000473:pathology; D012160:Retina / Q000473:pathology; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D015348:Vision, Binocular; D014792:Visual Acuity