Geographic mapping of choroidal thickness in myopic eyes using 1050-nm spectral domain optical coherence tomography

To provide a geographical map of choroidal thickness (CT) around the macular region among subjects with low, moderate and high myopia.

20 myopic subjects (n = 40 eyes) without other identified pathologies participated in this study: 20 eyes of ≤ 3 diopters (D) (low myopic), 10 eyes between -3 and -6D (moderate myopic), and 10 eyes of ≥ 6D (high myopic). The mean age of subjects was 30.2 years (± 7.6 years; range, 24 to 46 years). A 1050 nm spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) system, operating at 120 kHz imaging rate, was used in this study to simultaneously capture 3D anatomical images of the choroid and measure intraocular length (IOL) in the subject. The 3D OCT images of the choroid were segmented into superior, inferior, nasal and temporal quadrants, from which the CT was measured, representing radial distance between the outer retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) layer and inner scleral border. Measurements were made within concentric regions centered at fovea centralis, extended to 5 mm away from fovea at 1 mm intervals in the nasal and temporal directions. The measured IOL was the distance from the anterior cornea surface to the RPE in alignment along the optical axis of the eye. Statistical analysis was performed to evaluate CT at each geographic region and observe the relationship between CT and the degree of myopia.

For low myopic eyes, the IOL was measured at 24.619 ± 0.016 mm. The CT (273.85 ± 49.01 µm) was greatest under fovea as is in the case of healthy eyes. Peripheral to the fovea, the mean CT decreased rapidly along the nasal direction, reaching a minimum of 180.65 ± 58.25 µm at 5 mm away from the fovea. There was less of a change in thickness from the fovea in the temporal direction reaching a minimum of 234.25 ± 42.27 µm. In contrast to the low myopic eyes, for moderate and high myopic eyes, CTs were thickest in temporal region (where CT = 194.94 ± 27.28 and 163 ± 34.89 µm, respectively). Like the low myopic eyes, moderate and high myopic eyes had thinnest CTs in the nasal region (where CT = 100.84 ± 16.75 and 86.64 ± 42.6 µm, respectively). High myopic eyes had the longest mean IOL (25.983 ± 0.021 mm), while the IOL of moderate myopia was 25.413 ± 0.022 mm (**p < 0.001). The CT reduction rate was calculated at 31.28 µm/D (diopter) from low to moderate myopia, whilst it is 13.49 µm/D from moderate to high myopia. The similar tendency was found for the IOL reduction rate in our study: 0.265 mm/D from low to moderate myopia, and 0.137 mm/D from moderate to high myopia.

The CT decreases and the IOL increases gradually with the increase of myopic condition. The current results support the theory that choroidal abnormality may play an important role in the pathogenesis of myopic degeneration.