Effect of Optical Correction on Choroid Structure in Children with Amblyopia

Author(s): Kholoud Ahmad Bokhary, Ahad Walaa Alsaif, Rania Fahmy

Purpose: To compare the choroidal thickness (ChT) in strabismic and non-strabismic amblyopic children undergoing or recovered amblyopia treatment.

Methods: Subjects were recruited from pediatric ophthalmology and optometry clinics at King Fahad Medical City. Measurements include visual acuity, ocular alignment tests, refraction, and retinal ChT by optical coherence tomography depth (EDl-OCT).

Results: This study findings showed a statistically significant difference in mean scores of foveal and temporal ChT between amblyopic and non-amblyopic eyes for non-strabismus amblyopia group with a mean difference (28.5, 39.7 μm) respectively and a p-value =0.007 <0.05, while, nasal ChT of amblyopic eyes was not statistically significant in all study groups eyes. The foveal and temporal ChT in amblyopic eyes of children recovered from amblyopia was significantly thinned (299.62 ± 30.24 μm ,271.85 ± 25.54 μm) respectively and within the average choroidal thickness of children p value= (P = 0.030) <0.05 and (P = 0.038) <0.05.

Conclusion: The present findings suggested that myopic anisometropic amblyopes had thinner nasal ChT and thicker foveal and temporal ChT. The ChT in children recovered from amblyopia were significantly decreased after optical correction compared to those undergoing amblyopia treatment and controls. Such a reduction was to compensate for refractive error and improve visual acuity.