comparison of retinal nerve fiber layer thickness between amblyopic and normal eyes in unilateral strabismic amblyopia using scanning laser polarimetry

purpose : this study was designed to assess and compare the thickness of the peripapillar retinal nerve fiber layer (rnfl) in amblyopic and normal eyes in unilateral strabismic ambelyopia using scanning laser polarimeter. methods : scanning laser polarimetry was performed on 17 patients with unilateral strabismic amblyopia who had an absence of neurologic diseases or glaucoma with a minimum age of 15 years. a mean retardation map was calculated from separate scans or was considered to be the best scan obtained for each eye. polarimetric indices were analyzed comparing amblyopic and contralateral normal eyes. results : mean±sd age of patients was 24±4 years (15-32 years). the male:female ratio was 10:7. there were six right and 11 left amblyopic eyes. mean±sd visual acuity (va) of amblyopic eyes was 0.57±0.26 logmar. the average thickness of the nerve fiber layer was 57.01 μm in normal eyes and 58.38 μm in amblyopic eyes (p=0.22). mean±sd polarimetric indices did not differ significantly between normal and amblyopic eyes with a p-value of 0.98 for total polar average. conclusion : there was no statistically significant difference in thickness of the nerve fiber layer between amblyopic and normal eyes in unilateral strabismic amblyopia.    iranian journal of ophthalmology 200921(3):17-20 © 2009 by the iranian society of ophthalmology