Abstract
Purpose :
To study macular choroidal layer thickness.
Methods :
The population-based Beijing Eye Study including 3468 individuals used spectral-domain optical coherence tomography with enhanced depth imaging for thickness measurement of the macular small-vessel layer including the choriocapillaris, medium-sized choroidal vessel layer (Sattler's layer) and large choroidal vessel layer (Haller's layer).
Results :
After adjusting for younger age, shorter axial length and longer corneal curvature radius, thicker thickness of all three choroidal layers was associated (all P<0.05) with higher prevalence of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) (except for geographic atrophy), while it was not significantly (all P>0.05) associated with the prevalence of open-angle glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy. There was a tendency (0.07>P>0.02) towards thinner choroidal layers in chronic angle-closure glaucoma. The ratio of small-vessel layer thickness on total choroidal thickness increased (P<0.001;multivariate analysis) with older age and longer axial length, while the ratio of Sattler's layer and Haller's layer thickness on total choroidal thickness decreased. Higher ratio of small-vessel layer thickness to total choroidal thickness was significantly associated with a lower prevalence of AMD (early type, intermediate type, late geographic type).
Conclusions :
Axial elongation-associated and ageing-associated choroidal thinning affected more markedly Haller's and Sattler's layer than the small-vessel layer. Non-exudative and exudative AMD, except for geographic atrophy, was associated with a slightly increased choroidal thickness, more marked for Haller's layer than for the small-vessel layer. Chronic angle-closure glaucoma showed a tendency towards thinning of all choroidal layers, while open-angle glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy were not significantly correlated with the thickness of any choroidal layer.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2018 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Honolulu, Hawaii, April 29 - May 3, 2018.