Clinical Ophthalmology Open Access Full Text Article Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in recovered and persistent amblyopia Dovepress open access to scientific and medical research O r i g i n A L r e s e A r C h Atsushi Miki1,2 Motohiro shirakashi 1 Kiyoshi Yaoeda1 Yu Kabasawa1 satoshi Ueki 1 Mineo Takagi1 haruki Abe 1 1Department of Ophthalmology, n iigata University g raduate s chool of Medical and Dental sciences, n iigata, Japan; 2Department of Ophthalmology, Kawasaki Medical school, Okayama, Japan Correspondence:Atsushi Miki Department of Ophthalmology, Kawasaki Medical school, 577, Matsushima, Kurashiki, Okayama 701-0192, Japan Tel +81 4621111 Fax +81 4630923 email amiki@tc5.so-net.ne.jp eyes. Introduction Purpose: To investigate, using optical coherence tomography (OCT), whether retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFLT) is affected in amblyopic eyes. Methods: Using OCT (Stratus OCT™ [Carl Zeiss, Dublin, CA]), the RNFLT was measured in 26 patients with persistent unilateral amblyopia and in 25 patients with recovered unilateral amblyopia. The RNFLT was compared between the affected and fellow eyes in patients with persistent amblyopia and in those with recovered amblyopia, and between the amblyopic eyes of patients with persistent amblyopia and the previously amblyopic eyes of patients with recovered amblyopia. Results: In patients with persistent amblyopia and in those with recovered amblyopia, the affected eyes were significantly more hyperopic than the fellow eyes. The average (±standard deviation) RNFLT measured 105.5 ± 14.0 µm for the persistently amblyopic eyes; this value did not significantly differ from that of the fellow eyes (105.2 ± 13.0 µm) or the previously amblyopic eyes of recovered amblyopia (107.1 ± 11.7 µm). Also, logistic regression analysis adjusting for refraction showed no significant difference in the RNFLT between the persistently amblyopic eyes and the previously amblyopic eyes. Conclusions: Our results indicate that there is no significant change in the RNFLT in amblyopic Keywords: optical coherence tomography, retinal nerve fiber layer thickness, amblyopia Amblyopia is characterized by reduced visual acuity, in one or both eyes, which is caused by visual deprivation or abnormal binocular interaction during the development of vision.1 The site responsible for amblyopic visual deficits has classically been thought to be in the visual cortex and the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN).2 The dysfunction of LGN in human amblyopia has recently been demonstrated.3,4 Retinal involvement was once believed on the basis of neurophysiologic studies,5 but subsequent studies have not always supported the involvement of the retina in amblyopia.6 Recently, an optic disc anomaly in amblyopia has been demonstrated using fundus photographs.7–9 Thus, whether or not amblyopia is associated with any structural change in the retina remains to be investigated. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has increasingly often and widely been used in ophthalmology practice.10 It permits the noninvasive measurements of the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFLT). The RNFLT, as mea- sured by OCT, has been shown to correlate with visual function.11 Several OCT submit your manuscript | www.dovepress.com Dovepress DOI: 10.2147/OPTH.S13145 Clinical Ophthalmology 2010:4 1061–1064 © 2010 Miki et al, publisher and licensee Dove Medical Press Ltd.This is an Open Access article which permits unrestricted noncommercial use, provided the original work is properly cited. 1061