Choroidal and Macular Thickness in Eyes with Amblyopia

INTRODUCTION: This study was performed to assess and analyze the retinal and choroidal thickness in amblyopic eyes using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography and enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography.
METHODS: A total of 67 children with amblyopia and 31 age- and gender-matched healthy non-amblyopic control subjects were enrolled in the study. The 67 amblyopic children were divided into 3 groups: hypermetropic amblyopia (Group 1). microesotropia (Group 2). and myopic anisometropia (Group 3). All of the participants underwent a detailed ophthalmologic examination and orthoptic assessment. The subfoveal choroidal thickness was measured at 500-. 750-. 1000-. and 15000-micron intervals nasally and temporally. Central macular thickness was also measured in the subfoveal. parafoveal inferior. parafoveal superior. parafoveal nasal. and parafoveal temporal superior. inferior. nasal. and temporal quadrants. All of the parameters of the amblyopic eyes. fellow eyes. and control eyes were compared.
RESULTS: In all. 34 female and 33 male patients were studied. The mean age was 8.6±2.8 years (range: 5–12 years). Comparison of the choroidal thickness and macular thickness measurements between the amblyopic and non-amblyopic eye of the same patient within each group revealed no statistically significant differences. Comparison of the findings in the amblyopic eyes of Group 1 and Group 3 with the control group revealed that the choroidal thickness measurements were smaller in the amblyopic eyes in all quadrants. however. only the nasal quadrant measurements demonstrated a statistical significance. The subfoveal macular thickness value was also smaller in both groups when compared with the control eyes.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Our results indicated that amblyopia. whether anisometropic or microtropic. did not seem to significantly affect choroidal thickness.