Vitreous changes in high myopia observed by swept-source optical coherence tomography.

PURPOSE

To observe vitreous changes in high myopia using swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT).

METHODS

We performed slit-lamp biomicroscopy and SS-OCT in the highly myopic right eyes of 151 patients (mean age, 52.7 years; mean refraction, -11.4 diopters [D]) and the right eyes with no myopia of 363 healthy control volunteers (mean age, 52.8 years; mean refraction, -1.4 D). To estimate the sizes of the posterior precortical vitreous pockets (PPVPs), we measured the height between the fovea and the anterior border of the PPVPs.

RESULTS

Patients with partial posterior vitreous detachments (PVDs) around the macula and complete PVDs in high myopia were significantly (P < 0.0001) younger (47.1 ± 14.1 and 61.2 ± 12.0 years, respectively) than controls (59.0 ± 9.6 and 69.7 ± 6.6 years). The PPVPs with no PVDs were significantly (P < 0.001) higher in 32 eyes with high myopia (984 ± 292 μm) than 164 controls (553 ± 166 μm). After a complete PVD with a Weiss ring developed, the vitreous cortex was on the macula in 40.5% of the eyes with high myopia, which differed significantly (P < 0.0001) from the 8.7% of the controls. Myopic foveoschisis was present in 14 (9.3%) of 151 eyes. In eyes with foveoschisis, three (21.4%) eyes had partial PVDs and 11 (78.6%) eyes had complete PVDs; there was no residual cortex in 8 (72.7%) of 11 eyes with complete PVDs.

CONCLUSIONS

Highly myopic eyes may have larger PPVPs than normal eyes. Partial PVDs around the macula and complete PVDs occur at younger ages. The vitreous cortex more frequently remains on the macula after development of complete PVDs in highly myopic eyes.