title: Factors Affecting Choroidal Vascular Density in Normal Eyes: Quantification Using En Face Swept-Source Optical Coherence Tomography.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To quantify the vascular density of the choroid of normal eyes and to identify the influencing factors using en face images obtained with swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS OCT).
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and sixty-three eyes of 163 healthy volunteers (83 female; mean age 42.2 ± 22.6 years) with a corrected visual acuity of ≥1.0 were investigated. En face SS OCT images of the choroid were used for quantitative assessment of the vascular density in the large choroid vessel layer. Relationships between vascular density of the choroid and age, sex, refractive error (RE), axial length (AL), and subfoveal choroidal thickness (SCT) were also investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a significant negative relationship between vascular density of the choroid and subject age (P < .001). Analysis according to age showed a significant correlation in the group aged >30 years (P < .001), but not in the group aged ≤30 years (P = .225). SCT had a significant positive relationship with vascular density of the choroid (P < .001). However, a significant correlation was not observed between sex, RE, or AL and vascular density of the choroid (P = .981, P = .292, and P = .216, respectively). Multivariable regression analysis with vascular density of the choroid as the dependent variable and age, sex, RE, AL, and SCT as independent variables showed that age and SCT are important determinants of vascular density of the choroid (P < .001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Age and SCT affect vascular density of the choroid.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fujiwara
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan. Electronic address: moriza-y@okayama-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Morizane
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Mio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hosokawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Shuhei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Fumiaki
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kumase
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Yusuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shiode
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Shinichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Doi
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hirano
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Toshima
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Mika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hosogi
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Fumio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Shiraga
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D058452:Axial Length, Eye; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D002648:Child; D002829:Choroid / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000098:blood supply*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012030:Refractive Errors / Q000503:physiopathology; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods*; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology