Experimental amblyopia in animal models causes a reduction of cell sizes in 
lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) laminae connected with the amblyopic eye. 
However, direct evidence that the human amblyopic visual system is affected in a 
similar manner has been lacking. Histologic study of the LGNs from a patient 
with ophthalmologically confirmed anisometropic amblyopia shows a decrease of 
cell sizes in the parvocellular layers innervated by the amblyopic eye. This 
decrease was more pronounced in laminae receiving crossed fibers. To our 
knowledge this is the first report about structural alterations in the afferent 
visual pathway of a human amblyope and the data reaffirm the validity of the 
monkey model for further study of the basic mechanisms in amblyopia.