AAO 2024: Retinal structural changes in children with ametropic amblyopia

Author(s):

Key Takeaways

Significant structural differences in the retinas of amblyopic patients were identified using multimodal imaging techniques.
The study involved children aged 6 to 14 years, comparing affected individuals to a control group matched by axial length and age.
Over six months, improvements were noted in cone density, choroidal thickness, central macular thickness, and perfusion density in amblyopic patients.
The findings underscore significant vasculomorphologic changes in the retinas of children with amblyopia.

The investigators conducted a study in which they evaluated the retinal structure in patients with ametropic amblyopia and then correlated it with the final visual acuities achieved after 6 months of follow-up using a multimodal imaging approach.

(Image Credit: AdobeStock/NanSan)

Yashdeep Das, MBBS, and colleagues evaluated the structures of the retina in patients with amblyopia and found what they described as significant structural differences. Das is from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.

The study included 2 groups: affected children who ranged in age from 6 to 14 years and a control group comprised of individuals who matched the patients in axial length and age.

The multimodal imaging studies included optical coherence tomography (OCT), OCT angiography (OCT-A), adaptive optics, and measurement of the axial length. The children were followed for 6 months after spectacle correction for regular use, the investigators explained.

Das and colleagues reported that they observed both significantly low cone density (P < 0.001) and low vessel density (P < 0.001) in the children with amblyopia. At the 6 month time point, the evaluations showed that the patients with amblyopia had significant improvements in the following parameters, ie, cone density (P = 0.037), choroidal thickness (P =0.014), central macular thickness (P = 0.001), and perfusion density (P = 0.022) and a decrease in cone spacing (P < 0.001).

Based on their study results, the authors concluded that there are significant structural differences in the retinas of patients with amblyopia. Further, these children had significant changes in the vasculomorphologic configuration of the retina.

Reference

Das Y, Saxena R, Phuljhele S, et al. Assessment of Retinal Structural Alterations in Ametropic Amblyopia Cases: A Comprehensive Study. Presented at the 2024 American Academy of Ophthalmologyannual meeting, October 18-21, Chicago. Session: Pediatric Ophthalmology, Strabismus PA015