Assessment of macular microvascular changes in children following treatment of anisometropic myopic amblyopia using optical coherence tomography angiography.

PURPOSE: To evaluate macular microvascular changes in the form of foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area and vessel density in the superficial, deep capillary plexuses, and choriocapillaris using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) in children with anisometropic myopic amblyopia before and after treatment. METHODS: This prospective observational study included 32 patients younger than 12 years old with anisomyopic amblyopia. OCTA was done before patients' treatment with optical correction with or without patching and was repeated after successful amblyopia treatment. Outcomes included superficial, deep, and choriocapillaris vessel density (VD) and superficial and deep FAZ areas. RESULTS: The study included 13 males (40.6%) and 19 females (59.4%), and the mean age was 9.52 ± 1.33 years. Fifty-three percent (53%) of patients needed only optical correction, and the remaining 47% needed additional patching therapy. After successful treatment, there was a significant improvement in amblyopic eyes in best-corrected visual acuity (p < 0.001), with higher VD values in superficial capillary plexuses (p < 0.001), deep capillary plexuses (p < 0.001), and foveal choriocapillaris (p = 0.030). In the glasses with patching subgroup, the difference between pre-treatment and post-treatment parameters revealed a significant improvement in vessel density in superficial retinal plexuses (foveal and parafoveal; p values 0.023 and < 0.001, respectively) and deep retinal plexuses (whole image, foveal, and parafoveal; p values 0.003, < 0.001, and 0.002, respectively). While amblyopic eyes treated with glasses alone had a significantly greater difference in choriocapillaris foveal VD (p value = 0.022). CONCLUSION: After effective amblyopia treatment, amblyopic eyes exhibited improved best-corrected visual acuity and better macular perfusion along the superficial, deep vascular density, and choriocapillaris foveal VD. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: CinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05223153.

Bilateral Medial Rectus Advancement versus Unilateral Medial Rectus Advancement with Lateral Rectus Recession for Surgical Management of Large Angle Consecutive Exotropia without Adduction Deficit.

Purpose: To compare the postoperative eye alignment in patients who underwent bilateral medial rectus advancement with those who underwent unilateral medial rectus advancement plus ipsilateral lateral rectus recession in the case of large angle consecutive exotropia without adduction deficit. Methods: Thirty-four patients with large angle consecutive exotropia that developed after infantile esotropia surgery were included in this retrospective study. Nineteen patients underwent bilateral medial rectus muscle advancement (group I) and 15 underwent unilateral medial rectus muscle advancement with ipsilateral lateral rectus muscle recession (group II). The follow-up periods were at least 12 months. Postoperative eye alignment was assessed and orthotropia within 10 prism diopters was considered a successful result. Results: The mean age of patients was 9.45±2.71 years in group I and 9.93±2.05 years in group II. Sixty percent of patients were female in group II and 57.89% in group I. In group I, the mean preoperative angle of deviation was 56.26±3.78 PD at distance and 53.11±3.49 PD at near. In group II, patients had a mean preoperative angle of deviation of 56±3.38 and 52.47±2.77 PD at distance and near, respectively. At the end of the follow-up period, the success rate was 52.63% in group I and 73.33% in group II (p = 0.22). The mean of the dose-effect relationship in group I was 2.62±1.35 PD/mm while in group II it was 2.36±0.84 PD/mm (p = 0.52). Conclusion: In patients with large angle consecutive exotropia, unilateral medial rectus advancement combined with ipsilateral lateral rectus recession produced better postoperative eye alignment than bilateral medial rectus advancement. Group I had a higher dose-effect relationship than group II.