Age-Dependent Morphologic Alterations in the Outer Retinal and Choroidal Thicknesses Using Swept Source Optical...

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Retinal Imaging
• Gerontology

Background:

• Age-related changes in the macula can impact vision.
• Understanding outer retinal and choroidal morphology is crucial for diagnosing and monitoring eye diseases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate age-dependent changes in the outer retina and choroid.
• To evaluate the morphologic relationship between these layers in the macula.
• To assess the utility of swept-source optical coherence tomography (OCT) for this analysis.

Main Methods:

• Thirty normal subjects (average age 49) underwent swept-source OCT imaging.
• Outer retinal and choroidal thickness were measured using an Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) map.
• Segmentation was performed automatically and manually within a 6 mm macular area.

Main Results:

• Mean outer retinal thickness was 145±13 microns; mean choroidal thickness was 236±68 microns.
• Choroidal thickness significantly decreased with age (r = -0.66, P<0.01).
• Outer retinal thickness did not correlate with age (r = -0.16, P = 0.39), but outer retina and choroid correlated within 6 mm of the macula (r = 0.32, P<0.01).

Conclusions:

• The choroid thins with aging, while the outer retina remains morphologically stable.
• Outer retinal and choroidal thicknesses are correlated throughout the macula, except in the central region.
• ETDRS maps derived from OCT are valuable for assessing the morphologic relationship between the outer retina and choroid.