Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography in Patients with Amblyopia
Hamideh Sabbaghi1 , Zhale Rajavi2 *, Kiana Hassanpour3 , Hamid Ahmadieh3 , Bahareh Kheiri3
- Ophthalmic Epidemiology Research Center, Research Institute for Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Ophthalmic Research Center, Research Institute for Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Center, Research Institute for Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Abstract: To investigate the vascular characteristics in patients with amblyopia compared with the non- amblyopic eyes.
Methods: In this case- control study, a total of 62 eyes from unilateral amblyopic children (n= 23) and the age- and sex- matched healthy normal children (n= 8) were included. The sound eye of the amblyopic children was considered as the internal control (n= 23) and the both eyes of the non- amblyopic children (n= 16) were considered as the external control. All participants underwent the comprehensive visual and ocular examinations as well as retinal imaging by the optical coherence tomography angiography.
Results: Average age of patients was 9.86 ± 3.12, 7.5 ± 2.25, and 8.5 ± 2.35 years in cases, internal controls and external controls, respectively. (P= 0.134) Mean angle of ocular alignment was 1.48 ± 2.71 pd in cases, 0.83 ± 2.39 pd in internal controls, and 0.75 ± 2.05 pd in external controls. (P= 0.59)
In superficial capillary plexus (SCP) of case group, whole density, fovea density and perifovea density was 49.19 ± 2.99, 21.4 ± 10.51, and 49.17 ± 5.6, respectively. The corresponding values in deep capillary plexus (DCP) were 47.82 ± 4, 40.16 ± 7.5, and 53.16 ± 4.81, respectively.
Three study groups were comparable in terms of whole, fovea, and parafovea density, both in SCP and DCP. The foveal avscular zone (FAZ) area was 0.2598 ± 0.0619 mm2 that was significantly larger than 0.21 ± 0.07 mm2 in internal control group and 0.22 ± 0.1 mm2 in external control group. (P= 0.025) similarly, significant larger PERIM was also detected in cases versus two control groups. (1.97 ± 0.27 microns in cases versus 1.75 ± 0.312 and 1.9 ± 0.6 in external and internal groups, respectively)
Conclusion: The present study showed the larger FAZ area in patients with amblyopia. However, the OCT-A parameters were comparable with two control groups. The insignificant results warrants higher number of patients to increase the study power.
