[Changes in subfoveal choroidal thickness in myopic children who wear bifocal soft contact lenses]

To study the changes in subfoveal choroidal thickness in children with progressive myopia who have been wearing bifocal soft contact lenses (BSCL) with an ADD power of +4.0 D for 3 months.

The study included 40 patients (80 eyes) with progressive myopia of low and moderate degrees. The main group consisted of 23 patients aged 10.04±1.5 years with an average myopia of -3.06±1.17 D, they were examined before and 3 months after vision correction with bifocal soft contact lenses Prima BIO Bi-focal («OkVision Retail», Russia). The control group consisted of 17 patients (34 eyes) aged 9.29±0.92 years with an average myopia of -3.05±1.5 D using single vision spectacle lenses. Cycloplegic refraction, choroidal thickness and axial length were measured in all patients before and after 3 months. Choroidal thickness was measured using the semi-automatic method on the optical coherent tomography system RS-3000 Advance 2 («Nidek», Japan). Axial length was measured using the optical biometer IOL Master 500 («Carl Zeiss», Germany).

In the main group, subfoveolar choroidal thickness increased on average by 15.3±24.3 μm after 3 months of wearing BSCL, and in the control group it decreased on average by 9.03±28.65 μm. Comparison of changes in choroidal thickness between the main and the control groups revealed a significant difference (p<0.001). Increase in axial length of the eye in the main group was significantly less than in the control group (0.005±0.08 mm vs 0.07±0.06 mm; p<0.001). A strong negative correlation was found between changes in the axial length and subfoveolar choroidal thickness in the main group (r= -0.67), but no similar relationship was found in the control group (r= -0.13).

Subfoveolar choroidal thickness increases in children wearing bifocal soft contact lenses for myopia correction.