Abstract
Purpose :
There is a dearth of available normative thickness values in pediatric macula-centered swept-source optical coherence tomography. The cross-sectional, observational study aimed to provide normative values for choroidal thickness from a healthy pediatric population with no significant refractive error. The relationship between choroidal thickness and body mass index (BMI), spherical equivalent refraction (SER) and axial length (AL) was also investigated.
Methods :
Baseline macular scans (right eye only) of 83 participants (Male: n=46, 55.4%) aged 6-7 years in the Child Eye Health Study (CEHS) were analyzed (DRI-OCT Triton Plus, Topcon Corporation, Tokyo, Japan). The macula was divided into nine Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy Study grid areas (diameters of 1, 3 and 6mm) for analysis. BMI was calculated as Weight (kg)/Height2 (m2). SER (range: >-0.50D to +3.75D) was measured by cycloplegic open-field autorefraction. AL was measured by the Aladdin biometer (Topcon Corporation, Tokyo, Japan). Multiple regression was performed to investigate the relationship between choroidal thickness and BMI, SER and AL.
Results :
Mean AL (standard deviation) was 22.64 (0.70)mm. Mean subfoveal choroidal thickness was 290.30 (64.18)µm, and the choroid was thickest at the inner-temporal quadrant (292.42 (58.31)µm) and thinnest at the outer-nasal quadrant (184.81 (48.55)µm). Subfoveal choroidal thickness was negatively correlated with AL (r -0.386, p<0.001). Choroidal thickness had a significant negative relationship with AL in all other quadrants apart from outer-temporal and inner-temporal (p<0.05) when controlling for sex, BMI and SER. BMI was significantly positively associated with full choroidal volume (p=0.02), and choroidal thickness at the inner inferior quadrant (p=0.005), the outer inferior quadrant (p=0.002), and the outer temporal quadrant (p=0.015).
Conclusions :
The current study has provided baseline normative choroidal thickness values in healthy 6-7-year-olds. Choroidal thickness was negatively associated with AL and positively associated with BMI.
This abstract was presented at the 2024 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, WA, May 5-9, 2024.