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SD-OCT shows variations of choroidal thickness
PARIS — Spectral domain optical coherence tomography shows that choroidal thickness is not uniform around the ocular globe and is significantly reduced in highly myopic eyes, according to a study presented here.
Gabriel Coscas, MD, spoke about spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) at the meeting of the French Society of Ophthalmology. He said SD-OCT is a breakthrough technological development, providing deeper knowledge of the pathophysiology of a number of posterior segment conditions and new insights for treatment.
"It has also taken us beyond the limits of the [retinal pigment epithelium] to explore the choroid, the nourishing tissue underneath the retina," he said.
Dr. Coscas showed the OCT variations of choroidal thickness at different locations.
"The choroid is thicker around the macular region and thinner in the periphery," he said.
He also showed that thickness decreases with age and hypothesized that age-related degenerative diseases might be correlated with decreased nourishment from the thinned choroidal tissue and blood vessels.
Finally, he showed that high myopia is correlated with a thinner choroid, which might be the consequence of abnormal stretching caused by the elongated shape of myopic eye globes.
- Disclosure: Dr. Coscas has no direct financial interest in the products discussed in this article, nor is he a paid consultant for any companies mentioned.