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BMC OPHTHALMOLOGY, vol.26, no.1, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
Background To quantitatively evaluate the retinal foveal avascular zone (FAZ) and choroidal vascular and stromal components in children with anisometropic amblyopia using swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography (SS-OCTA), and to investigate the relationship of these measurements with axial length (AL), best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and spherical equivalent (SE). Methods This cross-sectional comparative study included 131 eyes of 89 children: amblyopic (n = 42), fellow (n = 42), and control eyes (n = 47). Retinal parameters, including the FAZ and central macular thickness (CMT), as well as choroidal parameters-subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT), choroidal vascularity index (CVI), choroidal vascular volume (CVV), choroidal stromal index (CSI), and choroidal stromal volume (CSV)-were quantitatively evaluated using SS-OCTA. Results Amblyopic eyes had lower BCVA, shorter AL, and higher hypermetropic refractive error. While no difference was detected in FAZ area, the FD-300 value (vascular density in the 300 mu m ring around the FAZ) was significantly higher in amblyopic eyes compared to the fellow eye. Choroidal analysis: CVI values decreased at 1 mm, 3 mm nasal, and 6 mm nasal; CSI increased at 1 mm, 3 mm nasal, and 6 mm nasal; CSV increased at 3 mm nasal and 6 mm nasal, suggesting relative differences in choroidal stromal and vascular components. No differences were observed among CVV parameters. SE was positively correlated with BCVA. Conclusion Our study detected microvascular changes in the retina and choroid in children with anisometropic amblyopia. Quantitative parameters obtained with SS-OCTA demonstrated modest effect sizes and limited discriminatory performance; long-term studies are required to clarify their clinical significance.