Juan Mei Zhang1, Jian Feng Wu2, Jian Hua Chen3, Ling Wang4, Tai Liang Lu5, Wei Sun5, Yuan Yuan Hu5, Wen Jun Jiang6, Da Dong Guo6, Xing Rong Wang6, Hong Sheng Bi6, Jost B Jonas7. 1. The 1st Clinical School Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China 2Department of Ophthalmology, Linyi People's Hospital, Linyi, Shandong, China. 2. School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China. 3. The 1st Clinical School Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China 3School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China. 4. The 1st Clinical School Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China. 5. The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China. 6. Eye Institute of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China. 7. Department of Ophthalmology, Medical Faculty Mannheim of the Ruprecht-Karls-University, Heidelberg, Germany.
Abstract
PURPOSE: To examine the thickness of the macular choroid and its associations in school children aged 6 to 18 years. METHODS: The school-based cross-sectional Shandong Children Eye Study included 6026 (94.7%) of 6364 eligible children fulfilling the inclusion criterion of an age from 4 to 18 years. Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) was performed for a subgroup of 972 school children aged 6+ years. All participants underwent ocular examinations, including measurement of visual acuity, cycloplegic refractometry, biometry, and SD-OCT (enhanced depth imaging mode) for measurement of choroidal thickness. RESULTS: The study included 972 children (501 girls) with a mean age of 11.3 ± 3.3 years (range, 6-18 years) and mean axial length of 24.10 ± 1.56 mm (range, 16.57-28.82 mm). Mean choroidal thickness was thicker (P < 0.001) at 500 μm temporal to the foveola (290 ± 67 μm) than in the subfoveal region (283 ± 67 μm; range, 113-507 μm) and the region 500 μm superior to the fovea (283 ± 66 μm), where it was thicker (P < 0.001) than at 500 μm inferior of the foveola (281 ± 66 μm), and it was thinnest (P < 0.001) at 500 μm nasal of the foveola (268 ± 67 μm). In multivariate analysis, thicker SFCT was (overall correlation coefficient r: 0.51) associated with shorter axial length (P < 0.001; standardized correlation coefficient β: -0.48; B: -23.7; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -27.2 to -20.3), male sex (P = 0.006; β: -0.08; B: -10.7; 95% CI: -18.3 to -3.11), and younger age (P = 0.04; β: -0.07; B: -1.46; 95% CI: -2.85 to -0.07). CONCLUSIONS: As in adults, thicker SFCT in children and teenagers was markedly associated with shorter axial length, and to a lesser degree with male sex and older age. As in adults, increasing axial myopia in teenagers is associated with choroidal thinning and development of a leptochoroid.
PURPOSE: To examine the thickness of the macular choroid and its associations in school children aged 6 to 18 years. METHODS: The school-based cross-sectional Shandong Children Eye Study included 6026 (94.7%) of 6364 eligible children fulfilling the inclusion criterion of an age from 4 to 18 years. Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) was performed for a subgroup of 972 school children aged 6+ years. All participants underwent ocular examinations, including measurement of visual acuity, cycloplegic refractometry, biometry, and SD-OCT (enhanced depth imaging mode) for measurement of choroidal thickness. RESULTS: The study included 972 children (501 girls) with a mean age of 11.3 ± 3.3 years (range, 6-18 years) and mean axial length of 24.10 ± 1.56 mm (range, 16.57-28.82 mm). Mean choroidal thickness was thicker (P < 0.001) at 500 μm temporal to the foveola (290 ± 67 μm) than in the subfoveal region (283 ± 67 μm; range, 113-507 μm) and the region 500 μm superior to the fovea (283 ± 66 μm), where it was thicker (P < 0.001) than at 500 μm inferior of the foveola (281 ± 66 μm), and it was thinnest (P < 0.001) at 500 μm nasal of the foveola (268 ± 67 μm). In multivariate analysis, thicker SFCT was (overall correlation coefficient r: 0.51) associated with shorter axial length (P < 0.001; standardized correlation coefficient β: -0.48; B: -23.7; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -27.2 to -20.3), male sex (P = 0.006; β: -0.08; B: -10.7; 95% CI: -18.3 to -3.11), and younger age (P = 0.04; β: -0.07; B: -1.46; 95% CI: -2.85 to -0.07). CONCLUSIONS: As in adults, thicker SFCT in children and teenagers was markedly associated with shorter axial length, and to a lesser degree with male sex and older age. As in adults, increasing axial myopia in teenagers is associated with choroidal thinning and development of a leptochoroid.