Subfoveal Choroidal Thickness in Myopia: An OCT-Based Study in Young Chinese Patients

Abstract

Myopia is a common cause of visual impairment worldwide. Choroidal thickness (ChT) reflects the characteristic changes in myopic children and may be used as an important index of myopia. The purpose of this study was to investigate ChT and its distribution across the posterior pole in young myopic Chinese patients using enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT) and to explore the factors associated with it. A total of 402 myopic Chinese patients aged 6–16 years who underwent complete ophthalmic examinations, including those for axial length, cycloplegic refraction, and intraocular pressure, were examined with EDI-OCT. The mean subfoveal ChT was 303.08 ± 76.87 μm and displayed large variations at different positions (p<0.05). The thickest sector was located 3 mm temporally from the fovea. Multivariate regression analysis showed a significant negative correlation of the subfoveal ChT values with axial length (AL), whereas the ChT was moderately influenced by the patient’s sex. AL accounted for 7.9% of the ChT variance, whereas sex explained 9.6% of the ChT variance. In the population aged 11 years and older, AL accounted for 13.1% of the ChT variance. However, in those younger than 11 years, age was the only significant explanatory factor accounting for 5.2% of the ChT variance. In conclusion, we found a significant decrease in ChT with age in myopic children younger than 11 years. The negative association between age and ChT in children aged 11 years and older may be offset by the choroidal thickening mediated by pubertal growth spurts. The positive correlation between ChT and spherical equivalent in myopic adolescents aged 11 years and older suggests that the protective effect of lens thinning against rapid axial elongation disappears with age. Axial elongation becomes the dominant determinant of ChT in this age group.

Emmetropic, But Not Myopic Human Eyes Distinguish Positive Defocus From Calculated Blur

“…However, it is likely that shorter axial lengths result from choroidal thickening and longer axial lengths from choroidal thinning. 25,[27][28][29]…”

Kearns–Sayre syndrome with a novel large-scale deletion: a case report

“…We measured the average subfoveal Cht of both eyes using built-in software, with the LE and the RE being 223 μm and 224 μm, respectively. However, in an OCT-based study of myopia in Chinese youth, the mean subfoveal Cht was 303.08 ± 76.87 μm [ 11 ], and it could be distinguished from the OCT image that it resulted from atrophy of the choriocapillaris layer. Prior research also demonstrated that the choroidal vascularity index, which reflects middle and large choroidal vascularity, has recently shown a downward trend in PR eyes [ 12 ].…”

Personalized Predictive Modeling of Subfoveal Choroidal Thickness Changes for Myopic Adolescents after Overnight Orthokeratology

“…Previous studies have shown that, in normal physiological development, the choroid becomes thicker and the ocular axis extends [ 26 , 27 ]. When myopia is imminent, the choroidal thickness would become thinner [ 17 , 28 ] and is characterized by continuously thinning choroids in patients with progressive myopia. [ 29 ].…”

“…Optical coherence tomography (ZEISS CIRRUS HD-OCT-5000) was used to measure the ChT of the subjects; the head position was fixed during the whole measurement. The “HD CROSS” test method and Enhanced Deep Imaging (EDI) mode were selected for standardized measurements [ 10 , 17 ].…”