title: Choroidal thickness measurement in children using optical coherence tomography.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To measure choroidal thickness (CT) in children of various ages by using spectral optical coherence tomography with enhanced depth imaging and to investigate the association between subfoveal CT and ocular axial length, age, gender, weight, and height in children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Healthy children were prospectively included between May and August 2012. Optical coherence tomography with the enhanced depth imaging system (Spectralis, Heidelberg, Germany) was used for choroidal imaging at nine defined points of the macula of both eyes. Axial length was measured using IOLMaster (Carl Zeiss Meditec, Dublin, CA). Height, weight, and refraction were recorded. Interobserver agreement in readings was also assessed by the Bland-Altman Method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three hundred and forty-eight eyes from 174 children aged 3.5 years to 14.9 years were imaged. The mean subfoveal CT in right eyes was 341.96 ± 74.7 µm. Choroidal thickness increased with age (r = 0.24, P = 0.017), height, and weight but not with gender (P > 0.05). It was also inversely correlated to the axial length (r = 0.24, P = 0.001). The nasal choroid appeared thinner than in the temporal area (analysis of variance, P < 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In children, CT increases with age and is inversely correlated to axial length. There is a significant variation of CT between children of the same age.
authors.affiliation: *Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital of Besançon, Besançon, France; †CHU Jean Minjoz, Besançon, France; ‡University of Franche-Comté, Besançon, France and §Clinical Methodology Center, University Hospital of Besançon, Besançon, France.
authors.forename: Mélanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bidaut-Garnier
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Puyraveau
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Montard
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Delbosc
authors.forename: Maher
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saleh
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D058452:Axial Length, Eye / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D001824:Body Constitution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002829:Choroid / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012029:Refraction, Ocular / Q000502:physiology; D017678:Sex Distribution; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods*