title: Choroidal Thickness Profiles in Myopic Eyes of Young Adults in the Correction of Myopia Evaluation Trial Cohort.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the relationship of choroidal thickness with axial length (AL) and myopia in young adult eyes in the ethnically diverse Correction of Myopia Evaluation Trial (COMET) cohort.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional, multicenter study.
  
  
  METHODS
  In addition to measures of myopia by cycloplegic autorefraction and AL by A-scan ultrasonography, participants underwent optical coherence tomography imaging of the choroid in both eyes at their last visit (14 years after baseline). Using digital calipers, 2 independent readers measured choroidal thickness in the right eye (left eye if poor quality; n = 37) at 7 locations: fovea and 750, 1500, and 2250 μm nasal (N) and temporal (T) to the fovea.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Choroidal thickness measurements were available from 294 of 346 (85%) imaged participants (mean age: 24.3 ± 1.4 years; 44.9% male) with mean myopia of -5.3 ± 2.0 diopters and mean AL of 25.5 ± 1.0 mm. Overall, choroidal thickness varied by location (P < .0001) and was thickest at the fovea (273.8 ± 70.9 μm) and thinnest nasally (N2250, 191.5 ± 69.3 μm). Multivariable analyses showed significantly thinner choroids in eyes with more myopia and longer AL at all locations except T2250 (P ≤ .001) and presence of peripapillary crescent at all locations except T1500 and T2250 (P ≤ .0001). Choroidal thickness varied by ethnicity at N2250 (P < .0001), with Asians having the thinnest and African Americans the thickest choroids.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Choroids are thinner in longer, more myopic young adult eyes. The thinning was most prominent nasally and in eyes with a crescent. In the furthest nasal location, ethnicity was associated with choroidal thickness. The findings suggest that choroidal thickness should be evaluated, especially in the nasal regions where myopic degenerations are most commonly seen clinically.
authors.affiliation: New England College of Optometry, Boston, Massachusetts. Electronic address: harbe@berkeley.edu.
authors.forename: Elise
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Harb
authors.affiliation: Stony Brook University Medical Center, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York.
authors.forename: Leslie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hyman
authors.affiliation: New England College of Optometry, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gwiazda
authors.affiliation: University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry, Birmingham, Alabama.
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Marsh-Tootle
authors.affiliation: Stony Brook University Medical Center, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York.
authors.forename: Qinghua
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Stony Brook University Medical Center, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.affiliation: University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry, Birmingham, Alabama.
authors.forename: Thomas T
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Norton
authors.affiliation: University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry, Birmingham, Alabama.
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Weise
authors.affiliation: Hamilton Glaucoma Center, Department of Ophthalmology, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California.
authors.forename: Keri
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dirkes
authors.affiliation: Hamilton Glaucoma Center, Department of Ophthalmology, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California.
authors.forename: Linda M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Zangwill
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D058452:Axial Length, Eye / Q000473:pathology*; D002829:Choroid / Q000473:pathology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005006:Ethnicity; D005139:Eyeglasses; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009216:Myopia / Q000150:complications* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000628:therapy*; D009929:Organ Size; D012029:Refraction, Ocular / Q000502:physiology; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult