This prospective study aimed to assess change in retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) and macular thickness, and clinical correlations with visual outcomes, after amblyopia treatment in 30 children with moderate to severe amblyopia. Mean age of children was 5.26 ±1.65 years; 19 males and 11 females. Anisometropic amblyopia was present in 47%, strabismus in 37% and mixed amblyopia in 16%. At presentation, mean best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at distance was 0.73 ±0.21logMAR improving to 0.33 ±0.22logMAR at 6 months post-treatment (p=0.0001). For near, BCVA improved from 0.43 ±0.12 to 0.33 V0.06logMAR. Baseline mean RNFL thickness was 111.13 ±4.62um in the amblyopia eye and 106.07 ±4.77um in the fellow eye, and at 6 months post-treatment, 104.96 ±3.77um and 105.77 ±4.57um, respectively. Baseline mean macular thickness was 227.06 ±10.89um in the amblyopic eye and 218.43 ±7.45um in the fellow eye, and at 6 months post-treatment was 226.80 ±10.82um and 218.03 ±7.26um, respectively. Changes in thickness for the amblyopic eyes were significant. Results of part-time total occlusion showed thinning in RNFL and macular thickness along with improvement in BCVA. Limitations of this study are its small sample size, short follow-up period and no children younger than 5 years. Further research is required with larger numbers, a control group and a wider age range.
Retinal thickness and visual acuity change correlations after amblyopia occlusion therapy
Reviewed by Fiona Rowe
Analysis of retinal nerve fibre layer and macular thickness in amblyopic children treated with occlusion therapy.
CONTRIBUTOR
Fiona Rowe (Prof)
Institute of Population Health, University of Liverpool, UK.
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