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Choroidal thickness decreases with age, greater axial length
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Subfoveal choroidal thickness decreased significantly with age and increased axial length in a group of healthy eyes, according to a study.
Investigators evaluated 155 subjects with a mean age of 53.5 years (range: 22 years to 89 years). Enhanced-depth imaging OCT was performed with the Cirrus (Carl Zeiss Meditec) and Spectralis (Heidelberg Engineering) systems to measure choroidal thickness from the outer limit of the retinal pigment epithelium to the inner surface of the sclera.
Non-contact biometry with the IOLMaster (Zeiss) was used to measure axial length.
Multiple regression was used to analyze relationships between subfoveal choroidal thickness and age, axial length, sex, ethnicity and history of systemic hypertension.
Mean axial length was 23.6 mm. Mean Spectralis subfoveal choroidal thickness was 286 µm.
There was a strong relationship between Spectralis and Cirrus choroidal thickness measurements (P < .001).
Mean subfoveal choroidal thickness was 7.7 µm thinner with the Spectralis than with the Cirrus (P < .001).
Age, axial length and sex correlated significantly with Spectralis subfoveal choroidal thickness measurements (P < .001, P = .001 and P = .025).
Choroidal thickness decreased 25 µm with each decade of life and 24.9 µm for each millimeter of axial length.
“Based on our data and that of previous studies, we believe that all future studies of [choroidal thickness] must account for axial length in order to make appropriate conclusions,” the study authors said. - by Matt Hasson
Disclosure: Rosenfeld reports he has received research support from Carl Zeiss Meditec, Macular Vision Research Foundation, Acucela, GlaxoSmithKline, Lowy Medical Research Institute and Advanced Cell Technology, and is a consultant for Acucela, Alcon, Boehringer Ingelheim, Chengdu Kanghong Biotech and Oraya. See the study for a full list of all authors’ relevant financial disclosures.
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