Background Hyperopia is a risk factor for esotropia and amblyopia. A previous study indicated that disc areas (DAs) are reduced in patients with amblyopia.
Objective To determine if there is a difference in the relative size of the optic disc in hyperopic eyes without strabismus or amblyopia compared with esotropic and amblyopic eyes, the relationship of axial length (AXL) to DA in subjects with hyperopia was evaluated.
Methods Eight hundred fifty records from my private practice, which included AXL measurements and optic disc photographs or digital images, were analyzed to locate 122 subjects with bilateral refractive errors greater than +2.00 diopters. Disc areas were measured using objective techniques. Axial lengths were determined by ultrasonographic biometry. A ratio, AXL/DA, was derived by dividing the AXL in millimeters by the DA in square millimeters.
Results The mean (SD) AXL/DA for the group with hyperopia was 9.48 (2.70) mm and 12.30 (3.45) mm for the group with hyperopic strabismus (P = .01). The mean (SD) AXL/DA was 15.24 (4.61) mm in the amblyopic eyes and 13.61 (3.67) mm for the nonamblyopic fellow eye (P = .02).
Conclusion The optic discs of eyes with hyperopic strabismus with and without amblyopia were disproportionately and markedly reduced when compared with hyperopic eyes without amblyopia or esotropia.
