Macular and peripapillary Choroidal Vascularity Index in children with different refractive status

OBJECTIVES: To characterize choroidal vascular changes in children with different refractive status.METHODS: A study including 5864 children aged 6-9 years was performed to investigate the choroidal vascular index (CVI) in myopic, emmetropic and hyperopic eyes. Each participant had a comprehensive ocular examination with cycloplegic autorefraction performed, axial length (AL) measured and Swept Source-Optical Coherence Tomography (SS-OCT) scans acquired. Choroidal thickness (ChT) was measured by built-in software, and CVI was calculated using a previously validated self-developed algorithm.RESULTS: The mean ChT and CVI were 275.88 +/- 53.34 mu m and 34.91 +/- 3.83 in the macula region, and 191.96 +/- 46.28 mu m and 32.35 +/- 4.21 in the peripapillary region. CVI was significantly lowest for myopes, followed by emmetropes and hyperopes (P < 0.001). CVI varied between different sectors separated by the Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) grid (P < 0.001). Macular CVI decreased horizontally from nasal to temporal quadrant with lowest in center fovea, and vertically from superior to inferior quadrants. Peripapillary CVI was highest in the nasal and lowest in the inferior sector. Multiple regression showed that spherical equivalent (SE), AL, intraocular pressure (IOP), ChT, age, and gender were significantly related to CVI (P < 0.05).CONCLUSIONS: In children, the distribution of CVI in the posterior pole is not uniform. A decreased CVI was observed from hyperopia to myopia and was associated with decreased SE, elongated AL, and choroidal thinning. Further study of changes in CVI during myopia onset and progression is required to better understand the role of the choroidal vasculature in myopia development.

Automated summary

This study aimed to characterize changes in choroidal vasculature in children with different refractive status. The results showed that choroidal vascular index (CVI) was lowest in myopic eyes, followed by emmetropic eyes and hyperopic eyes. CVI varied between different sectors and decreased from nasal to temporal quadrant horizontally and from superior to inferior quadrants vertically. Multiple regression analysis showed that spherical equivalent, axial length, intraocular pressure, choroidal thickness, age, and gender were significantly related to CVI.