Evaluation of ocular elasticity in high myopia

Our aim was to evaluate the ultrasound (US) elastography of ocular and periocular structures in high myopia.

There were 20 eyes of 20 high myopic patients in the study group, whereas there were 20 eyes of 20 age- and sex-matched healthy participants in the control group. The eyes in the study group had myopia greater than -5.0 diopters and had axial length (AL) greater than 25.0 mm. The US elastography measurements were performed with the LOGİQ E9 Ultrasound Elastography. The elastography values of anterior vitreous, posterior vitreous (PV), retina-choroid-sclera complex (RCS), and retrobulbar fat tissue (RF) were measured in each eye.

Anterior vitreous US elastography values were similar in both groups (p = 0.17), whereas PV is more elastic in high myopic eyes (p = 0.01). There was a moderate negative correlation between AL and RCS/RF elastography ratio (r = -0.35, p = 0.03) and a positive correlation between refractive error and RCS/RF elastography ratio (r = 0.36, p = 0.02).

High myopia is associated with more elastic PV. Elasticity of posterior RCS increases as the AL increases.