Axial Length Control Is Associated With a Choroidal Thickness Increase in Myopic Adolescents After Orthokeratology

To investigate the changes in choroidal thickness and axial length after orthokeratology in adolescents with low-to-moderate myopia and to explore the relationship between choroidal thickness and axial length variation.

Thirty eyes with low-to-moderate myopia were retrospectively studied, and optometric data were collected before and after 6 months of continuous orthokeratology. Axial length and choroidal and foveal thicknesses were measured using optical biometry and enhanced depth imaging-spectral domain optical coherence tomography, respectively.

Axial length in the low myopia group increased ( P <0.001) after 6 months of orthokeratology, and the variation was greater than that in the moderate myopia group ( P <0.05). The subfoveal choroidal thickness in low and moderate myopia groups increased ( P <0.01), and the variation was greater in the moderate myopia group ( P <0.05). Choroidal thickness in all seven measured spots increased, with the variation of subfovea, nasal 1 mm to fovea, and temporal 1 mm to fovea being statistically significant ( P <0.001, P <0.05, and P <0.05). The change in axial length was negatively associated with subfoveal and average choroidal thicknesses ( P <0.01).

Adolescents with moderate myopia presented better axial length control after 6 months of orthokeratology. The choroidal thickness of low and moderate myopic eyes increased, and the variation was more significant in moderate myopic eyes. The axial length control effects can be associated with an increase in the subfoveal and average choroidal thickness.