Unilateral amblyopia: Optical coherence tomography findings

Purpose

This study was performed to measure the macular and the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thicknesses using optical coherence tomography (OCT) in patients with unilateral amblyopia.

Methods

Measurement of the Retinal nerve fiber layer and Macular Retinal Layer thickness for both amblyopic and normal fellow eyes by (OCT) was carried out at king Abdulaziz University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Results

Ninety-three patients with unilateral amblyopia between the ages of 5 years and 12 years were included. The macular retinal thickness and the RNFL thickness were measured using OCT. The mean macular retinal thickness was 259.3 μm and 255.6 μm, and the mean RNFL thickness was 112.16 μm and 106 μm, in the amblyopic eye and the normal eye, respectively. OCT assessment of RNFL thickness revealed a significantly thicker RNFL in amblyopic eye (P < 0.0001), but no statistically significant difference was found in macular retinal thickness (P = 0.195).

Conclusion

The amblyopic process may involve the RNFL, but not the macula. However, further evaluation is needed.