Contact Lens and Visual Optics Laboratory, School of Optometry and Vision Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2013 May 1;54(5):3586-93. doi: 10.1167/iovs.13-11732.
We examined choroidal thickness (ChT) and its spatial distribution across the posterior pole in pediatric subjects with normal ocular health and minimal refractive error.
ChT was assessed using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) in 194 children aged 4 to 12 years, with spherical equivalent refractive errors between +1.25 and -0.50 diopters sphere (DS). A series of OCT scans were collected, imaging the choroid along 4 radial scan lines centered on the fovea (each separated by 45°). Frame averaging was used to reduce noise and enhance chorioscleral junction visibility. The transverse scale of each scan was corrected to account for magnification effects associated with axial length. Two independent masked observers segmented the OCT images manually to determine ChT at foveal center, and averaged across a series of perifoveal zones over the central 5 mm.
The average subfoveal ChT was 330 ± 65 μm (range, 189-538 μm), and was influenced significantly by age (P = 0.04). The ChT of the 4- to 6-year-old age group (312 ± 62 μm) was significantly thinner compared to the 7- to 9-year-olds (337 ± 65 μm, P < 0.05) and bordered on significance compared to the 10- to 12-year-olds (341 ± 61 μm, P = 0.08). ChT also exhibited significant variation across the posterior pole, being thicker in more central regions. The choroid was thinner nasally and inferiorly compared to temporally and superiorly. Multiple regression analysis revealed age, axial length, and anterior chamber depth were associated significantly with subfoveal ChT (P < 0.001).
ChT increases significantly from early childhood to adolescence. This appears to be a normal feature of childhood eye growth.
我们研究了眼部健康且屈光度最小为+1.25 至-0.50 屈光度球镜（DS）的儿童的脉络膜厚度（ChT）及其在视盘后的空间分布。
使用频域光学相干断层扫描（OCT）对 194 名 4 至 12 岁的儿童进行 ChT 评估，他们的等效球镜屈光不正为+1.25 至-0.50 屈光度球镜（DS）。采集一系列 OCT 扫描，以 4 条径向扫描线沿视盘中心成像（每条线间隔 45°）。帧平均用于降低噪声并提高脉络膜-巩膜交界处的可视性。每条扫描的横向比例都经过校正，以考虑与眼轴长度相关的放大效应。两名独立的盲法观察者手动分割 OCT 图像，以确定中心凹的 ChT，并在中央 5mm 的一系列周边区平均化。
平均的中心凹下 ChT 为 330±65μm（范围为 189-538μm），且受年龄的显著影响（P=0.04）。4 至 6 岁年龄组（312±62μm）的 ChT 明显比 7 至 9 岁年龄组（337±65μm，P<0.05）薄，与 10 至 12 岁年龄组（341±61μm，P=0.08）接近显著差异。ChT 在视盘后也呈现出显著的变化，在更中央的区域更厚。脉络膜在鼻侧和下侧比颞侧和上侧更薄。多元回归分析显示，年龄、眼轴长度和前房深度与中心凹下 ChT 显著相关（P<0.001）。
ChT 从儿童早期到青春期显著增加。这似乎是儿童眼球生长的一个正常特征。
