[The shape of posterior staphyloma in high myopia]

In 105 eyes of 68 highly myopic patients with focal chorioretinal atrophy in posterior staphyloma, the shape of the staphyloma and the process of backward elongation were studied. Indirect binocular ophthalmoscopy (and in some cases slit-lamp biomicroscopy of the fundus.) was used to observe the staphyloma. The results were as follows: 1) In 72.4% of all the eyes, patchy atrophy (part or whole) protruded or became dented in the staphyloma. The protrusion and the dent did not correlate with age. The refraction of eyes which had protruded patchy atrophy was significantly stronger than those which had dented patchy atrophy. The axial length of eyes which had protruded patchy atrophy was also significantly longer. 2) The protrusion and the dent were localized in patchy atrophy with a diameter of over 1.5 PD. 3) In 80.3% of peripapillary chorioretinal atrophic cases, atrophy protruded or became dented in the staphyloma. 4) In 43.8% the limits of the location of retinal blood vessels formed part of the borderlines of the staphyloma. 5) In 28.6%, steps were created in the staphyloma by the limits of the location of retinal blood vessels. As the staphyloma progresses, patchy atrophy, annular-type myopic crescents, and the location of retinal blood vessels influence the shape of the staphyloma.