Retinal nerve fiber analysis in subjects with hyperopia and anisometropic amblyopia.

PURPOSE: To determine the changes in retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in subjects with high hyperopia and anisometropic amblyopia. METHODS: Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness was measured with scanning laser polarimetry and confocal scanning laser tomography in subjects with hyperopia (n=18) with a mean age of 16.6 +/-3.1 years and anisometropic amblyopia (n=14) with a mean age of 17.4 +/-3.8 years. A control group consisted of 25 healthy emmetropic subjects with a mean age of 25.7 +/-11.8 years. In all subjects 3 measurements with 2 different techniques were obtained and the average values for each parameter were analyzed and compared between the groups. RESULTS: Heidelberg Retinal Tomography revealed a smaller disc area and cup/disc ratio (C/D) in the hyperopic and amblyopic subjects in comparison to the control group, however there was no statistically significant difference between the hyperopia and amblyopia groups. Increased nerve fiber layer thickness in these groups had no statistical significance. There was also no statistically significant difference in various parameters in the measurements taken with scanning laser polarimetry. CONCLUSION: Refractive errors may change the quantitative assessment of optic nerve head topography and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness. There is no associated nerve fiber layer changes in anisometropic amblyopic subjects in comparison to the control group and the subjects with high hyperopia.