Optical coherence tomographic angiography in children with anisometropic amblyopia

OBJECTIVES: To observe and compare the difference in retinal perfusion using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) between anisometropic amblyopia in children and fellow eyes as well as age-matched controls. METHODS: A total of 16 children with anisometropic amblyopia and 19 age-matched healthy subjects were enrolled. All participants underwent OCTA examination, with 3 mm × 3 mm and 6 mm × 6 mm scans in the macular region. Perfusion parameters of the superficial retinal layer were measured by built-in software, including the macular foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area, perimeter and circularity, as well as the vessel length density (VLD) and perfusion density (PD) of the foveal, parafoveal and perifoveal regions. RESULTS: Among the 16 patients with anisometropic amblyopia, the FAZ area was significantly higher in diseased eyes (P = 0.027) than in fellow eyes. The VLD and PD of the foveal average and the VLD of the nasal quadrant of the perifoveal region in anisometropic amblyopic eyes were significantly lower than those in fellow eyes (P < 0.05). The VLD of the parafoveal average, the superior, temporal, inferior and nasal quadrants of the parafoveal region, and the nasal quadrant of the perifoveal region in anisometropic amblyopic eyes were significantly lower than those in healthy controls (P < 0.05). The PD of the parafoveal average, and the inferior quadrant of the parafoveal region in anisometropic amblyopic eyes were significantly lower than those in healthy controls (P < 0.05). The VLD of the parafoveal average, the superior, inferior and nasal quadrants of the parafoveal region, and the nasal quadrant of the perifoveal region in fellow eyes were significantly lower than those in healthy controls (P < 0.05). The PD of the parafoveal average, and the inferior quadrant of the parafoveal region in fellow eyes were significantly lower than those in healthy controls (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The macular vessel density of the superficial capillary plexus is lower in anisometropic amblyopic children than in age-matched healthy children. Compared with the fellow eye, the perfusion of the amblyopic eye in children with anisometropic amblyopia also decreases.