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Macular Choroidal Thickness in Children: The Shandong Children Eye Study
Juan Mei Zhang1, Jian Feng Wu2, Jian Hua Chen3
1The 1st Clinical School Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China 2Department of Ophthalmology, Linyi People's Hospital, Linyi, Shandong, China.
Insights
In children and teenagers, thicker subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) is linked to shorter axial length, male sex, and younger age. This finding mirrors adult studies, suggesting similar ocular development patterns.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatric Ophthalmology
- Retinal Imaging
Background:
- Choroidal thickness is a key indicator of ocular health.
- Understanding choroidal development in children is crucial for early detection of eye conditions.
- Previous research has primarily focused on adult populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the macular choroidal thickness in school children aged 6 to 18 years.
- To identify associations between choroidal thickness and ocular parameters in this age group.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study of 972 children (aged 6-18) from the Shandong Children Eye Study.
- Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) with enhanced depth imaging was used for choroidal thickness measurements.
- Ocular examinations included visual acuity, refractometry, and biometry.
Main Results:
- Mean subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) was 283 ± 67 μm.
- SFCT was significantly thinner in the nasal quadrant compared to other macular regions.
- Thicker SFCT was associated with shorter axial length (r=0.51), male sex, and younger age.
Conclusions:
- In children and adolescents, increased SFCT is associated with shorter axial length, male sex, and younger age.
- These findings are consistent with adult studies, indicating similar patterns in choroidal development.
- Progressive axial myopia in teenagers correlates with choroidal thinning and a 'leptochoroid' state.
Purpose:
To examine the thickness of the macular choroid and its associations in school children aged 6 to 18 years.
Methods:
The school-based cross-sectional Shandong Children Eye Study included 6026 (94.7%) of 6364 eligible children fulfilling the inclusion criterion of an age from 4 to 18 years. Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) was performed for a subgroup of 972 school children aged 6+ years. All participants underwent ocular examinations, including measurement of visual acuity, cycloplegic refractometry, biometry, and SD-OCT (enhanced depth imaging mode) for measurement of choroidal thickness.
Results:
The study included 972 children (501 girls) with a mean age of 11.3 ± 3.3 years (range, 6-18 years) and mean axial length of 24.10 ± 1.56 mm (range, 16.57-28.82 mm). Mean choroidal thickness was thicker (P < 0.001) at 500 μm temporal to the foveola (290 ± 67 μm) than in the subfoveal region (283 ± 67 μm; range, 113-507 μm) and the region 500 μm superior to the fovea (283 ± 66 μm), where it was thicker (P < 0.001) than at 500 μm inferior of the foveola (281 ± 66 μm), and it was thinnest (P < 0.001) at 500 μm nasal of the foveola (268 ± 67 μm). In multivariate analysis, thicker SFCT was (overall correlation coefficient r: 0.51) associated with shorter axial length (P < 0.001; standardized correlation coefficient β: -0.48; B: -23.7; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -27.2 to -20.3), male sex (P = 0.006; β: -0.08; B: -10.7; 95% CI: -18.3 to -3.11), and younger age (P = 0.04; β: -0.07; B: -1.46; 95% CI: -2.85 to -0.07).
Conclusions:
As in adults, thicker SFCT in children and teenagers was markedly associated with shorter axial length, and to a lesser degree with male sex and older age. As in adults, increasing axial myopia in teenagers is associated with choroidal thinning and development of a leptochoroid.
