Choroidal Thickness and Ametropia in Children: A Longitudinal Study

Abstract

Purpose To determine the relationship of subfoveal choroidal thickness (ChT), refraction, and axial length in children, and evaluate the evolution of subfoveal ChT with time in myopic versus nonmyopic eyes. Methods A total of 229 eyes of 115 children aged 2 to 16 years were included in the study. Refraction under cycloplegia, axial length, and subfoveal ChT were measured at baseline with comparative investigations at 15 months follow-up. Results The probability for the subfoveal ChT to be thinner in myopic children compared to nonmyopic children was 0.9999. We found a relation between subfoveal ChT and axial length. At 15 months follow-up, subfoveal ChT was found to have increased in the nonmyopic eyes, but decreased in myopic patients. Conclusions A number of studies have already shown the choroid to play an important role in the process of emmetropization. We found that ChT had a different evolution in myopic children compared to nonmyopic children. A thinner choroid may predict the onset, or progression, of myopia. Further studies, with longer follow-up, are necessary to confirm this hypothesis.