Macular capillary system and ganglion cell-layer complex of the amblyopic eye with optical cohorence tomography angiography and optical cohorence tomography

Purpose To investigate the macular capillary system and ganglion cell-layer complex of the amblyopic eye with OCTA and OCT in comparison with fellow non-amblyopic eyes and a healthy control group and to examine their relationship with the severity of amblyopia. Methods This prospective, cross-sectional comparative study enrolled 25 amblyopic patients and 25 healthy controls. All patients and controls underwent OCTA and OCT imagining. Macular vessel densities of the Superficial Capillary Plexus (SCP) and Deep Capillary Plexus (DCP) and retinal thickness were measured by OCTA and ganglion cell layer (GCL) by OCT. Results SCP density at the fovea and parafovea was significantly lower in amblyopic eyes than in fellow eyes and control group. DCP density at the fovea was significantly lower in amblyopic eyes than fellow eyes and control group. Mean GCL thickness on OCT was 0.73 ± 0.07 μm in amblyopic eyes, 0.75 ± 0.06 μm in fellow eyes and 0.77 ± 0.06 μm in the control group. GCL volume was significantly lower in amblyopic eyes than the fellow eyes. The SCP and DCP and GCL thickness were not affected by the severity of amblyopia. Conclusion Macular vessel densities of the SCP and DCP of eyes with amblyopia is lower compared to the fellow non-amblyopic eyes and the control group. The thickness of GCL was lower in amblyopic eyes than fellow eyes while the severity of amblyopia did not have any impact on these structures. Microvascular retinal structures may have been affected in the course of amblyopia development.