Abstract
Purpose :
To study the changes in the choroidal layers thickness with age in a healthy population using swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT).
Methods :
Retrospective data analysis of a subgroup of eyes from a previous single-center, prospective, cross-sectional, non-interventional study. 169 healthy eyes were evaluated using SS-OCT. Inclusion criteria were best-corrected visual acuity between 20/20 and 20/25, spherical equivalent between ±3 diopters, and no systemic or ocular diseases. Two independent investigators determined the macular horizontal Choroidal Thickness (CT) and the Haller’s layer thickness across a 9 mm line centered at the fovea. Subjects were divided into five age groups.
Results :
Mean subfoveal CT (SFCT) was 305.76±80.59 μm (95% confidence interval (CI): 294.85 to 319.33). Mean subfoveal thickness for Haller’s layer was 215.47±67.70 μm (95% CI: 207.30 to 227.86) and mean subfoveal thickness for choriocapillaris plus Sattler’s layer was 87.31±40.40 μm (95% CI: 83.38 to 95.65). No significant differences were found due to gender. CT profile was similar between groups with CT and Haller’s layer thickness decreasing with age (p=0.002).
Conclusions :
Choroidal and Haller’s layer thickness profiles are similar between different age groups. Age-related choroidal thinning is mostly at the expense of Haller’s layer.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2016 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, Wash., May 1-5, 2016.